Nightmare
by Aza Sira
Summary: Jenni has no clue as to what happened to her. All she knows is that she certainly isn't in Texas anymore. She is lost, alone and in need of a shower. With only her violin she faces Middle-Earth. Will she be able to survive the nightmarishness of all that is happening? NO LEGOMANCE, slash, or Mary-Sueness. AU
1. Chapter 1

**Nightmare**

**Chapter One:**

Jenni murmured in her sleep. She seemed to be waking slowly, but something wasn't right. Her hair and clothes were wet with….something. shaking herself awake, she sat up and looked around her. Her breath came in short rasps as she took in the scene around her.

She was in a dark forest.

It wasn't like any other forest she had ever seen. There seemed to be no pines or even oaks anywhere, which clued her into the fact that her brothers had probably had not pranked her by dumping her in the woods surrounding their home. Everything was covered in a misty darkness. Jenni felt panic place its cold fingers around her chest and she started to breath in heavy panicked sobs. Jenni scooted slowly to the trunk of a nearby tree and curled into the fetal position and attempted to get a grip on herself. She tried to steady her breathing, but something was wrong with air. It was somehow thick, almost like she was drinking something. Yet it was fresh in way. Somewhat like what she would have imagined air without any pollution at all. Jenni tried to think back to where she had been before waking up to _this._ She had riding home from her violin lesson. She looked down at herself. Black lace-up leather boots, jeans, dark green T-shirt, and a black hoodie. Nothing out of the ordinary. So how was she here?! Jenni closed her eyes from the impending tears that threatened to spill over. Suddenly her head jerked up. Her violin! Maybe it was here too. She got up and walked around. About five feet away, there it sat. In its case with the sheet music and everything. She clutched it close to herself. The sun was coming up and Jenni guessed the time to be somewhere around 7:00 am. That being said, she decided to start walking. The trees around her had a peculiar aura to them. It was almost as if she was being watched. Jenni kept looking over her shoulder as if she expected someone to be standing. That, of course was ridiculous because they would have to be very quiet for her not to hear them. The forest was strangely quiet, as if it was holding its breath somehow and if it was possible for a forest to hold its breath. The ground was covered in wet leaves, which lent Jenni the element of silence. She had grown up in the Texas backwoods, after all. As she continued her thoughts strayed back to how on earth she had gotten here. Wherever 'here' was anyway. Jenni paused and looked around her again. Heavy panic rise in her chest again. If she was on someone else's land, then she could easily be shot on sight for trespassing. That was how the Texas rednecks in her area did things after all.

The mists were leaving, so her visibility was increased. The trees were unlike any she had ever laid eyes on. They huge, gnarled things that seemed to stretch upward indefinably into the misty sky. The mists on the ground were almost cleared away and Jenni could tell that it was about 9:00 am. She wiped the sweat from her brow. Whew! It certainly was humid here. This observation gave her some hope. Waller was humid all the time. But the nagging thought that she had never in her entire fourteen year old life, seen trees like these. There wasn't anything that looked even remotely Texan, let alone local to her home.

As she kept walking, she heard started to hear strange, almost animalistic grunts and squeals. Being as quiet as she could (Which was almost silent, given that she had grown up in the woods), Jenni crept through the underbrush and almost had a coronary. There, in the clearing about twenty feet away, were the most hideous things she had ever laid eyes on. Indeed, not even in her absolute worst nightmare could she imagine something as grotesque as the scene before her. There were about ten of the ….. _things. _They were like nothing Jenni could ever describe.

With a shriek, she started to scramble away as fast as could. All stealth was gone as she wildly raced away from the hideous beasts. From the noises behind her, she guessed they were chasing after her. Jenni glanced behind her and saw that they were gaining on her. She tripped and fell and the things were upon her. She started screaming her face off, think death was upon her in this strange place, a deep _HOOOOOOM!_ Came forth and another creature bounded into the scene and began to squash the monstrous things like soft clods of mud. Jenni gaped and then noticed that one of the things from the clearing was advancing on her rapidly. She panicked and did the only natural thing that came to her.

Jenni whacked the monster with her violin case.

It seemed a bit stunned and annoyed as well as not the least bit seriously harmed and was going to kill her, when a huge foot-like appendage squashed it into a oozing black mush. Jenni promptly began to alternate between screaming and retching at the sight. After the enormous _other _thing had finished its grisly squash-fest, it turned to her. It looked almost tree-ish, if Jenni was honest. It was covered in moss and gnarls like all the other trees around the vicinity. But its eyes were the most terrifying of all. They were like deep golden orbs of ancient light and knowledge. But there was anger in them too. Anger that could not be satisfied by Jenni. The new thing picked her up in its hand like appendage like she weighed no more than a feather. Still screaming and terrified, Jenni fainted.

**Authors Notes: **

**I want to give a big round of thanks to the folks down at the MarySues forum for helping me with this. Thanks a lot guys, I know Jenni would be a Sue from the first if it wasn't for ya'll. That being said, I rushed this chapter and am going to make the next ones longer. Have a great day and please review.**

**~Aza Sira**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: **

Jenni shivered as she awoke from a nightmarish sleep. The first thing she registered was warmth. She shook her head and thought that she must have had the craziest dream ever. Then she opened her eyes and saw she was still in the creepy, strange, old forest. So it wasn't a dream, although nightmare would have been more appropriate. Groggily, she sat up and heard a deep _hoom _behind her. Jenni immediately curled into the fetal position and whimpered. The big, tree-ish thing lumbered into view and knelt down in front of her. It seemed to be speaking in some form of language. She didn't know what it was and it showed. The tree thing _hoomed _again and tried another language. No soap. This process went on until it didn't have any more languages to try on Jenni. Jenni sniffled and buried her head in her knees. The big thing seemed to just look at her for a while, which unnerved Jenni more than what she would have thought possible.

"Go away." She whimpered. It didn't understand her.

"Please." She begged as more tears ran down her face.

"Go away!" Jenni was yelling now.

"Just leave me be! Can't you see anything?!" The big tree-ish thing didn't budge. Jenni sighed and contemplated what she supposed to be her mental state.

'_I must be going mad. I-I just must be! Oh all those times John, Caleb, and Lisa joked about insanity…. They really have no idea. _Jenni thought miserably. _And then of course there's a creepy Ent staring at me and orcs and wait. Did I just think Ents and Orcs? Orcs and Ents? Oh I am going nuts! _These thoughts only made her worse and before long she was sobbing hard. The Tree Thing, looked at her curiously. He had some idea about what she was upset about. She was obviously alone and in the middle of a strange place. But she should know Westron or Sindarin. After all, she looked like a descendant of Numenor. The ah, Dunedain, yes that was it. Brown hair, grey eyes and pale skin. But she was terrified also. It would explain the yelling. He was puzzled over what she had been yelling about. She repeated herself, so some of it had to be important. Then again, for some, seeing an Ent for the first time was rather unsettling. And he was the oldest of them all, Treebeard. The girl was still sobbing her eyes out and was obviously hyperventilating. Treebeard knew exactly what to do for her. He marched off to create his special Entwife brew. It was a hasty brew, but haste was needed when it came to females.

Jenni couldn't believe herself. Yes she was nerd, but not like this. She truly was insane if she even considered the possibility that she was in Middle-Earth. John would scoff at her and call her delusional and geeky. Mom would be most alarmed and concerned with her mental state. Dad would frown and remove all Tolkien influences from her life. Nathan would never stop gossiping. Megan would avoid her like the plague. Suddenly all she wanted was someone she knew. Even if they would never accept her story. No, scratch that, all she wanted was someone _human! _Soon she was sobbing all the more wishing from the bottom of her heart that she was back at home in Texas. With her family, even if they all didn't get along. The thought only made her sob harder. Soon she was too tired to cry anymore. It was as if her body had said,

"Enough about all this blubbering. Distract yourself or something, but don't wallow around in misery."

Jenni tilted her head to the side, exhausted from the emotional stress she was under. Her head hit her violin case and she remembered something from long ago when tragedy had struck her family. Music helped to sooth her nerves and overload emotions. Wiping away her tears, she pulled out her violin case and tremblingly strummed a few chords. Soon she found herself playing 'Savior' by Rise Against. It wasn't quite the same, but it was powerful and soothing. Soon she was almost dancing to the music. It was one of her favorites and she closed her eyes as she savored the vibrations from the strings and powerful music that spilled forth from her instrument. Soon she had completely forgotten everything that was occurring in her crazy, upside-down, quite possibly mentally messed up life. She forgot about the orcs, about the Ent, about being alone, lost, and terrified. And then the music ended. She looked up to see the Ent (_Why am I still calling that thing an Ent?! _She thought angrily) had returned with a small flask of a liquid that almost seemed to glow lavender. It stepped forth and offered it to her in its outstretched hand like appendage. Jenni accepted and drank from the flask. Instantly, a soft warmth filled her veins. It was as if she was drinking liquid sunlight. It was like nothing she could ever describe other than life. Calm swept over her and she took a deep breath before noticing that several of the trees had moved. And there were new ones too! Jenni dropped the flask as her jaw dropped as well. Where had all these trees come from?!

Treebeard had heard the strange music and was somehow moved by it. There was a strange sort of hum to it, almost an Entish sort of sound and nothing like anything else he had heard in a long while. He had also noted that the trees seemed drawn to it as well. They seldom heard any music other that the birdsong. But even that was gone during winter. But it was summer. Still, he could only hurry along his brew to see if she was making this noise or not. When he had returned to Wellington where he had left her, he was greatly surprised by her newfound demeanor. She seemed to be dancing in a way, with her eyes closed tight and a tiny smile on her tearstained face. The trees seemed to love the music. Then it hit Treebeard. This music was so very like the Entwive's songs. So the trees and Huorns missed them too, eh? Treebeard chuckled to himself. This was defiantly a new development. He presented the girl with the Entwife draught and watched it work its magic on her. She seemed to relax as if whatever was scaring her was drifting away in drink he had given her. Of course, that was the nature of this particular drink. She suddenly noticed the new trees and Huorns that had come. She shrieked and dropped the flask, obviously disconcerted by the change of scenery.

Jenni was feeling crazier than ever and yet, she felt like accepting. Accepting that she was in middle-earth. The turmoil from within resurfaced and she felt the panic rising again. Suddenly, she wanted to test it, this entire world. She lifted her bow to the violin and played again. The effect was astonishing. The trees seemed to move and sway with the music. Is wasn't instantaneous, but slowly and surely it happened. Afterwards, jenni collapsed against the trunk of a tree. Bitterness welled in her and she struck her hand against the trunk. The tears and blood flowed but she didn't stop. Not until Treebeard stopped her and gave her some more of the lavender draught. The calm rushed over her again. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The draught was working wonders against her denial. She walked up to the Ent. Jenni didn't know if Ent was Westron or not so she just went with Elvish. Jenni arefully pointed at the Ent and said one word.

"Onodrim?"

Treebeard was astonished. How could she know this? When he had tried Sindarin before it hadn't worked. Now…. _Well now, let's not be hasty. _The girl pointed back at herself and said;

"Jenni."

HE nodded and acknowledged her name. Jenni couldn't believe herself. Talking to a living breathing Ent! But Jenni also knew that this was just the beginning.

**Author's Note:**

**Sooo, what did you think? The whole part about the trees just came to me in the spur of the moment and I included it. No, this does **_**not **_**mean that Jenni has magical powers or anything like that. The trees and Huorns were simply drawn to her music, as they had never heard anything identical to it. And now for a review response!**

**DreamOwl: Cool name btw. Thanks for your review! I'm trying hard to make Jenni as non-Sue-ish as possible. Good to hear I got it right!**

**~Aza Sira**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: **

Jenni couldn't sleep that night. She was still coming to terms with being in Middle-Earth. Off to her left the Ent seemed to be sleeping soundly, although he was standing upright. Then again in the books Treebeard ahd said that Ents weren't very bendable. Even so, Jenni was much too energized to sleep. The Ent had given her some other draughts later on in the day. These draughts were different form the first one he had give her. Instead, these glowed a soft yellow and green, respectively. She shook her head. Too much was going on and she was still scared. Last night, she had some pretty bad nightmares about the Orcs. So horrible they were, that she was scared to sleep.

She was also squirming a bit, due to nature call. Jenni hadn't really thought about how she was going to relieve herself, but she sure as her life didn't want to use leaves. She shuddered at the thought. Jenni felt around her deep pockets and hit gold. She giggled in delight as she pulled out a packet of tissue. So the problem was put off until she ran out. Jenni's thoughts wandered with the night. She thought about how hysterical her mother must be. Mom had talked a lot about how she would just crawl into a hole and die if her or any of her siblings were vanish or die. Jenni tried to imagine what it must be like to her mother. So sad, she wouldn't be able to take care of Jenni's siblings. She thought about her dad and tears really started to pour. She pushed him out of her thoughts. John…. She remembered for her twelth birthday she had done a Lord of the Rings marathon in the Extended Edition. She remembered the part where Eomer found Eowyn and Theoden and had John if he would freak out if she died. He had joked and said it would have depended on how nice she had been to him that day. Jenni closed her eyes tighter and stopped the tears. After a long while, she fell into a fitful sleep.

The sun rose slowly over the forest. The golden rays filtered into Jenni's eyes and woke her up. And the deep, resounding _HOOOOOOM!_ That Treebeard made when he walked into Wellinghall, bearing two huge buckets of Ent draught. He placed them on the high table and placed his hands over them. They began to glow until all the trees around began to glow golden and green at the leaves. It was all quite strange and wonderful at the same time for Jenni. She felt a little overwhelmed by it all.

Treebeard had thought about Jenni all night long. He had thought it over and had decided to take her to Saruman as soon as she was up and able. Jenni had slept fitfully last night and he could understand why. The poor girl obviously was going through a change in her life. She was relishing the draughts he had brought too and looked as though she knew which ones tasted like which.

Jenni loved the draughts. They soothing and filling. She still wanted something a bit more filling, but she was thankful nonetheless. She sat back on the table and drank contentedly from the draughts. She noticed several birds had startd to sing. This and the draughts helped her to feel better after last night. The deep aching sadness gripped her again, but she forced it down. She had to, she reasoned, it was the only way to stay sane in a situation like this. Jenni decided to play her violin again. She was a bit afraid after what had happened last night, but she decided to anyway. Picking it up, she thumbed through the music. Jenni decided on some Mozart. She played to her heart's content and the trees seemed to like it. (Aka they didn't kill her, even though her violin was a bit out of tune at first) after, she put it away and thought about how much her mother had loved that piece. Mom was always pushing classical music. Tears sprang unbidden to her eyes and she hurriedly wiped them away and stopped. She was used to stopping tears. They didn't, however, go unnoticed to Treebeard. He was watching under those mossy eyebrows. He noted that she may have had some sort of emotional attachment to the music. But, he decided, it was too early to come to conclusions yet. Don't be hasty was his motto, after all. But this only reinforced in his mind that she should be taken to Saruman as soon as possible. He had at first wanted to think it over for a bit, but he realized a major flaw in his keeping her here. No human food. True, she had tolerated the draughts better than any mortals he had seen in many a year, but she needed to company human folk. Her own people, preferably. But whether or not that was possible was defiantly a challenge and a riddle. _Yes, _He decided _She needs to be with her own folk again. Then to Isengard it is then. _

And so Treebeard picked up a slightly bewildered Jenni and headed south to Isengard.

**DT: Thanks for the feedback. Yes, I am a fervent believer in non romance, non Mary Sue FanFics. In fact, that's why this story exists. **

**DragonOwl: Yes, she will have to learn Westron. Too bad Tolkien didn't just have everyone speak English! Oh well, it has to happen. And yes, I find Legomance rather disturbing due to its popularity. I'm trying to make her as realistic as possible, so help, please? And sorry again for getting your name wrong.**

**Thanks again to everyone who reviewed! Really, it makes my day! Also, some important point to make for the future. Everything in bold will be Quenya (High Elvish) and **_Italics will be Sindarin (Grey Elven) _**With the exception of Author's Notes, of course. Have a great day!**

**~Aza Sira**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: **

Jenni felt her stomach slosh and gurgle as she rode on Ono's shoulder (She'd decided to call him that as she didn't know his real name and he seemed to accept that). He'd randomly picked her up after she had played her violin and they were heading….somewhere. she honestly had no idea. Then again, she supposed, she did have a few ideas. If where they had been was Wellinghall, then he might Treebeard. Jenni instantly began to feel more nauseous than she already was. Meeting Treebeard… she shook her head to rid herself of the thought. But if it was Treebeard, then they be headed to Isengard. Jenni started to pale at that thought. She certainly did NOT want to end up as part of his Uruk breeding program. Jenni had arrived at the conclusion that this must be before the Fellowship, but fairly close nonetheless. After all, she had seen Orcs wandering through Fangorn, hadn't she. Still, all this ceaseless thinking and trying to figure things out was giving Jenni a headache. Not to mention she was seasick, err Entsick? She was riding on the shoulder of one. So what did that make her? Oh, so many questions and all Jenni could hope for was that she might find someone to teach her the language so she get the answers. Ono's enormous footsteps were almost soundless, which was amazing for a creature of its size. A breeze flitted through her hair. It was nice somehow, to be away from all the hustle and bustle of modern life. She shook her head at the cliqued thought. Of course it was. It always was. Her father had always been a nature person and her mother a city girl. Still, Dad had convinced Mom to move to the country. He wanted to move to Chile, convinced that the economy was better there than in Texas. Mom had always said no, but who knows? Jenni was in Middle-Earth! Of course it was completely possible for Mom to be convinced to Chile. Before Jenni realized it, tears streaked her face. She hastily wiped them away. Suddenly, an anger blossomed in her chest. Anger at whoever or whatever had caused THIS. This being in Middle-Earth. This everything in her crazy life. The anger turned to a burning rage and hatred of the cause of all this. Soon her head was bowed, her fists were clenched so tight, blood began to trickle out between the knuckles. She was shaking with suppressed emotion.

Treebeard paused and looked at Jenni, who was shaking horribly. She seemed not sad, but rather enraged at something. Confusion, perhaps? It might be only natural if he knew her train of thought before this had happened. This made him very alarmed and more resolute to go to Isengard.

Jenni breathed in small gasps. She closed her eyes and calmed the storm within. She looked at her hands and saw the blood. Slowly, painfully, she drew them apart. The cuts were not deep, but she would have to be careful if she was to avoid infection. Then again, the Ent draught she had drunk had unique abilities, if one could put that way. Her hair had grown five inches and she had grown about three. At that rate, her clothes would be far too small for by the end of the week, tops. Still staring at her hands, Jenni marveled at her randomness and wished for the hundredth time that she could understand herself and not ramble about in her mind. She closed her fist and breathed deep. The air was so liquid like. It was all very strange. Jenni knew it couldn't be humidity, she lived in flipping Texas, after all. The humidity rates were absolutely obscene there. So wasn't humidity. Lack of air pollution, perhaps? After all it was a sort of medieval type place. And just look at Fangorn! The Amazon would jealous. Then again, the Amazon could be Fangorn, just in the future. Or maybe she was way over thinking this and there was nothing but the fact that she was in Middle-Earth.

As the day went on, Jenni began to feel seasick again. (She still hadn't decided on whether or not it was Entsick or seasick, so she just decided to call it seasick) her breakfast was feeling more and more acidic and less and less normal. Soon she groaning in time with swaying of Treebeard. A few minutes later, it happened. She felt it coming on and she tried to clamber down from Treebeard's back. He stopped, puzzled by what she must need. He soon found out. As soon as Jenni was on the forest floor, she made a dash for the nearest patch of brush and promptly lost whatever was left of her breakfast. After finishing her retching, she sagged against the back of the tree nearest to her. Treebeard stared at her, thinking deeply as all Ents do. She might not be ready to travel again, so not to be hasty, they should stay here for the remainder of the day. There wasn't much of it left. (It was about 5:00 pm.) So Treebeard settled down, not too far from Jenni. He was aware of the need to get to Isengard, as he did not have any draughts with him. Besides, Jenni had just thrown up, so food or drink of any kind might not be a good idea.

Jenni could not but make the classic lament; _Why me? Why ME?! _As on part of her thought about her own misery, the other part shouted _What are you doing?! Stop wallowing around in self pity and get your butt in gear! _Jenni ended up listening to that part of her and subsequently tried to remedy herself by focusing on others. Unfortunately, her options were limited to Treebeard. He looked perfectly fine to her and she tried to think of some way she could repay him for his kindness to her and her helplessness. Thus began a session of slef loathing, something Jenni was very familiar with. Certain people had made her feel that way because of certain….issues, that she had. Jenni really hated that, in fact, she almost hated it more than herself. Either way, her emotions were all over the forest floor. The fact that she was missing her family to pieces wasn't helping either. _No, _She told herself, _No. I can't go there. Not now. Not like this. If I had a knife…._ Jenni had tried cutting before. But only once and during the worst part of her life. Well, maybe it would have to take second worst to this situation, but still. She banished the thought as best she could, but it lingered, simmering in the backround as she fell into an uneasy sleep.

Treebeard had watched Jenni closely during all this. She was a troubled young lass, that much was certain. But to what extent? After a few hours, Treebeard picked her up gently and strode towards Isengard.

When Jenni woke the next moring, she wasn't wearing the clothes she brought with her to Middle-Earth. Instead, she was wearing a white shift. She rubbed her eyes and looked around at the black stone walls around her and panicked.

Jenni had come to Isengard.

**Author's Note:**

**Yes, yes Jenni ends up in Isengard. Fear not, she won't be there long. Or will she? Anyway some review responses.**

**DragonOwl: Yes, Westron will be fairly difficult work, but it's essential to Jenni's survival that she learn it. She meets Saruman soon, but I don't know about the Fellowship characters. The time period is six years before the Council of Elrond, so Saruman is not openly evil yet. He has fallen into darkness, but he is not openly evil. I LOVE Treebeard and just Ents in general too! I'm thinking about writing a Fimbrethil/Treebeard story in the future. The distant future. **

**Nyla Evergale: Aww thank you! And I read the first two chapters of your fanfic and you're off to a good start! **

**Dinopoodle: Cool name btw. Yes, she in the enemy's hand! Will she survive? I've always wanted there to be a fic where the OFC dies. So maybe? **

**Anyway, thank you all so much for reviewing. It really is my fuel for writing. It shows me that there are actual people out there who care about this story enough to gift with their precious time and energy to review. *Hugs everyone who reviewed* So please keep it up! **

**~Aza Sira**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:**

Jenni was hyperventilating. Where was she!? She had absolutely no idea. Her breath came in short and fast, her heart thudded in her chest. She decided to try calming down and thinking. Jenni looked around herself. She was in a small, black, stone room. Isengard? That just sent her hyperventilating again. Then she noticed the fact that she was still wearing her underclothes. She also vaguely remembered a scuffle of sorts although it hurt her head to think about. At the foot of her bed, her clothes were set, freshly washed. Jenni realized that they had been covered in vomit. So someone had changed her. She felt rather strange about that, but after a quick mental search, she vaguely remembered some woman peeling her hoodie off and stuffing some kind of syrup into her mouth. Still, she was grateful to be able to change. There was a westward window and Jenni looked out it to try and figure out where she was. When she looked out, Jenni saw a black ring of walls. It also seemed that she was in a tower of sorts. Her heart sank. Yep, defiantly Isengard. She sank onto the wall and curled into the fetal position. All she wanted in that exact moment was to be somewhere else. If she had been scared in her first encounter with Orcs, there was no describing the terror she now felt in being at Isengard. Desperation clung to her and plot began to hatch.

Carefully, she climbed out of narrow window and got some footholds on the many grooves on the walls. It wasn't so different than tree climbing, and Jenni had done that countless times in her life. She gulped, looking down at the fall and considered climbing back into her room. Then the fact that she was in Isengard struck home again and terror motivated her to keep climbing down. Tightening her grip on her window sill, she slowly slipped her foot down to where the nest groove was and shakily got a hold. The next groove would require her to let go of the window sill and her heart beat faster, if that was possible with her heart thumping so hard it hurt in her chest. A northern wind blew in and cut against her. Jenni closed her eyes and shifted her hands to a lower groove. Taking another deep, shaky breath, she moved down again. The terror of Saruman drove her where she never in her entire imagination would have been; climbing down a 50 foot wall with a strong breeze and feeling like vomiting again (if she had anything _to _vomit) and feeling like she was having a heart attack.

Still, she continued to climb precariously down.

Durion was having a bad day. First, he has to be the one to greet the Ent who trudged into Isengard with the strangest girl he had ever seen. Then the gaurds decide to have a little enjoyment with the ale in the guardroom and Father blames it on him. It was his supervising time so he was responsible and all that trash. Either way, things were not going so well with him and his father. His father was thinking to send Grima Wormtongue to rohan and eventually get king Theoden under his thumb. To what purpose, Durion had no idea, but he was certain it wasn't a good one. As he trudged through the halls of Isengard, he faintly heard a slight girlish, gasp. He truned and walked over to the window and looked out. Nothing. He turned his head to the side and saw one very strange sight climbing down the wall.

Treebeard was walking around Isengard with Saruman. They were discussing many things; the forest, the Orcs that had been uncommonly common, and Jenni. Saruman nodded at her mention, but had otherwise remained undisclosed about the matter. He was alarmed to be sure, about her, given that she had appeared out of nowhere, spoke no language of Middle-Earth, and generally was rather helpless and skittish. Never mind that, though.

What had alarmed him the most was when Treebeard told him the things she had mumbled in her sleep. She had mentioned Morgoth, Isildur, Saruman and Gandalf BOTH by their Maiar names, Elrond, Galadriel, Nenya, Narya, Cirdan, and Vilya. Either way. Saruman was greatly distressed over this turn of events. This meant that she obviously possessed some form of knowledge about events past and present. Yet she had that strange outlandish instrument with her. And her clothes were unlike any other Saruman or any of servants had ever seen. All in all, she was defiantly a strange case, one that might have to be, ah _taken care of _ soon. Yes, very soon.

**Author's Note:**

**So Saruman wants to off Jenni. Surprise, surprise. She is a threat after all. Anyway, thanks again to he who reviewed so here's your response;**

**The Doctor: Well, you should have your answer. Thanks for reading and reviewing! **

**Once again, please review peoples, it really makes my day. **

**~Aza Sira**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: **

Durion was thoroughly amused. The strange girl was climbing, of all things, down the walls of Orthanc. She couldn't see him as her face was turned the other way. Durion thought about how in Middle-Earth he was going to go about this. He tried a greeting.

"Hello?" Her face snapped towards his and she was so shocked, she shrieked and let go of the grooves. Durion thrust out his hand and grabbed her arm. Her eyes were wide and terrified. He pulled her up and into the window.

Jenni was thoroughly annoyed with herself. First, she actually made good progress down the Orthanc, and now this creepy guy ruined it. Or rather she did by gasping all the time. Anyway, the bottom line was that she needed a new plan. She couldn't take this guy; he had to be at least 6'5" and she was 5'2".

Durion didn't know what to make of this either. He hadn't thought very far ahead after he pulled her up. He guessed she was trying to get out of here. He also knew his father had some horrible plan for her. A plan that would coincide perfectly with his current plan hatched into his head. He smiled. She looked even more terrified and made a move to the for the window. Durion grabbed her hand. She looked horrified. He sighed and let go.

"Durion" He said, pointing to himself. He had heard that she spoke no language of Middle-earth so he just pointed to her and raised his eyebrows. She seemed to get what he was saying.

"Jenni" She pointed to herself. Jenni realized that maybe this random guy might not have perverted intentions, she ended up spending twenty minutes using mime to try and see if would help her get out of here. He seemed to understand and turned to walk away. Jenni followed.

Durion was finding that this was exactly as he would have liked it. The day he had planned to leave Isengard and he would get to remove his father's prize at the same time. He had been there when the Ent had told about what she had said in her sleep and perceived his father's hidden panic. This would be the perfect way to leave. He would have started laughing hysterically if he wasn't trying to be quiet.

Jenni was baffled beyond comprehension. Here was this random creepy guy who was helping her. She considered making a run for it as they came to a fork, but decided against as he probably knew his way around and she didn't. either way, she was incredibly frustrated with herself for being in this position. Being led around by a random person. Great, just fantastic. Jenni ground her teeth in frustration. She hated, absolutely _hated_ it when this happened. Then again, nothing like this had ever happened to her before. Before, she was a gawky, nerdy, stalker violinist. She never would have dreamed she would be climbing down the walls of Orthanc, or meeting Treebeard or whacking an Orc in the face. She shook her head at the craziness of it all. Her violin case was still strapped to her back, safe and sound. The man led her around several twisting halls and stairwells, until they came to a room. He motioned for her to wait outside.

Durion knew he had to move fast. Time was running short along with his strength. He was keeping Jenni hidden from Saruman's eye, but he was only half-Maia. His father was a full-blown Maia. This made hiding her rather difficult, if difficult would be a correct word to use. Either way, he was getting out of here and she was coming with him. If his father was so worried about whatever it was she knew or had, he could take it up with Galadriel after he got her safely to Lothlorien. How perfect. He would have done something he thought impossible; dangling his father's prize right in front of him. He smirked and stuffed the last of the lembas into his satchel. Durion was packing lightly, after all. He grabbed an extra cloak for Jenni and went back to her.

Jenni drummed her hands impatiently against the black, stone wall. Orthanc was giving her the creeps again, but now that she had gotten over the initial shock and terror of being here, she thought it was kind of cool, really. The black, stone walls gave off a mirror like sheen that reminded her of a private collage she had once been to for a speech and debate tournament. It had been the National Championship. The university was Oral Roberts University. The Hall of Mirrors had been fascinating, but Jenni thought the walls of Orthanc were even better. She didn't quite know how to describe them exactly. Jenni cocked her head to the side and studied them again. Nope, still nothing. She frowned and sighed. Where was that Durion guy, anyway? Hope sparked in her and she tried walking way as quietly as she could, which was pretty quiet.

Durion rolled his eyes at her attempts. He walked out of his room and coughed. Jenni turned around, her face a flaming red. Durion shook his head. She obviously self conscious about the fact that he had caught her, but still, they had a trip to the Golden Wood to make. He gave her the cloak and she pulled it on. After fumbling with the clasp for about five minutes, Durion walked over and just did it for her. They continued their trek through Orthanc. Along the way, Jenni saw that the walls had carving on them that resembled scenes and pictures. It all so very peculiar. Her guide didn't stop, so Jenni couldn't either.

Durion was getting more and more tired by the minute. But at least they were nearing the final stretch; the door nearest to the stables. Just before they came within eyesight of the guards, Durion pulled Jenni aside and whispered urgently into her ear.

"Hold your breath until we get to the stables." He closed his eyes after remembering that she couldn't understand a word he said. So mimed holding his breath and motioning to the stables. Jenni seemed confused, but also seemed to get that she needed to hold her breath for… something important. So they continued. Just as they were coming up to the guards, Jenni fully realized why. She almost began to laugh. It was the exact same concept she had seen in _Spirited Away. _So it _was _a real spell after all. Even so, her lungs burned. The long, brisk walk to the stables was agonizing. They were nearing it as Jenni's vision blurred. Her lungs were on fire, her head was light. Her legs buckled and the world went black.

Durion groaned. There was no backing out of this now. His father would guess his intentions to leave and hold him here. Now Jenni was passed out. What else could go wrong?

He had no idea how prophetic that would be.

**Author's Notes: **

**No, Durion is not a love interest. Just thought I'd nip that in the bud. Anyway, as for the **_**Spirited Away **_**rip off, I just had the idea come to me, and well, tell me what you think. I recently tried to read the History of Middle-Earth series, and couldn't get through, because speech and debate season is starting back up, and life is getting hectic. So I've decided to operate out of a knowledge base comprised of the Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings with Appendices. So if you see some error that I would have known had I finished HoME, please give me some grace. And now for some review responses!**

**DragonOwl: Well, she is with Saruman no more! Or is she? As for climbing out of Isengard, it's not as Sue-ish as some might think, (being random here) Jenni grew up in the country, so climbing trees is second nature to her. So the walls of Isengard are similar to her in that respect. **

**Borys: Really? I've heard of GiME's that started in Fangorn. As for language, I get really annoyed when there is no Westron, just English. IT'S IN LOTR PEOPLE! You don't have to be a geek to know that. The Isengard that you know? Please define said Isengard.**

**N. : Thanks! I'm trying!**

**~ Aza Sira**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: **

When Jenni woke up, she was sitting upright and the first thing she noticed was the smell of horses and the fact that she was being jolted jauntily. She opened her eyes and then realized she was going up and down at an extraordinary rate. She was riding a horse. Being a neophyte at the world of equestrianism, as well as very sleepy, Jenni was getting seasick fast. She was also finding the world around her strangely abstruse. After a short interlude, she became aware of the arm around her waist. she looked behind her, and saw a very annoyed looking Durion. Apparently, her performance at Isengard was quite subpar. Jenni judged, after looking behind her, that she must have been out for a considerable amount of time as Isengard had already evanesced into the distance. Jenni was still a bit ambivalent towards Durion. He had saved her from Isengard, but what were his intentions outside of Isengard?

Durion was regretting this temerarious decision. What on earth had possessed him to help her?! He had no idea this girl would be so utterly helpless. Why he made choices like these, he never knew. Durion was always frustrated with himself after he made decision. He may be a cabalist, but he would always be a horrible decision maker. Either way, his father would have already sent out the scouts to find him. But Saruman himself would have to. He had placed a spell to cover their tracks. Although, Durion suspected he already had done something to the mediocre spell. Saruman was far more powerful than Durion ever could know or understand. Even if he was his father. (Even if his father was entirely execrable) Things just weren't turning out well with them. Jenni stirred and Durion shook the farrago of thoughts from his mind.

Jenni's stomach growled and she really, really, needed to relieve herself. She squirmed a bit in the seat and tried to keep it under control. There wasn't much substance in her anyway. She hadn't eaten anything since she arrived here about three, four, days ago? Her stomach was anything but satisfied. The lugubriousness of her situation was absolutely horrible. Not to mention she had been getting more moribund here than in her whole life. Although, judging from Durion's inimical expression, now was not an good time to ask for anything.

The milieu around her was composed of plains and mountains. She tried to remember a map of Middle-Earth and realized that Isengard was over the mountains from Fangorn. This gave her a bit of apprehension as to where Durion was taking her. They were going in or near to the Gap of Rohan, so there wasn't much population in that area. It was really killing her now, where were they going? And when was she going to eat? Or use whatever the equivalent to a restroom was in Middle-Earth. She tried to stop squirming, but it couldn't be helped. Jenni could only hope that Durion would not be a jerk-muffin and realize what she needed.

Durion was getting more inimical towards Jenni the more she squirmed. He couldn't ask what was wrong with her, she couldn't understand him. He thought maybe she one of those hyper active types, but decided against it as she had appeared to be quite thoughtful and introspective at Isengard. Durion had been observing her closely through that peregrination. Was she just cramped and trying stretch? No, her movements were too fast paced for that to be true. Then, it occurred to him that she might need to relieve herself. His inimicality vanished as he realized this. Slapping himself mentally, he made a point to stop at the first promising grove of trees.

They rode on in silence, each wrapped within their own thoughts. Durion had begun to slow the horse down, because it was getting tired. Durion noted that the sun was almost completely gone. Soon it would be very, very dark. Unfortunately, they couldn't stop for a while, orcs would have been on their tracks long ago. Still, when they came to a fairly thick grove of trees, Durion stopped the horse.

Jenni took this as a cue to answer nature's call, and promptly obeyed. She was thoroughly disgusted with herself for using leaves, but there was no other option. The involuntary peregrination into Middle-Earth was becoming increasingly bothersome uncomfortable, and difficult. She was thoroughly enraged against whatever had caused this. Or whoever. She didn't care, she was just angry. Jenni forced herself to be calm as she approached Durion.

Durion unwrapped the lembas and portioned them out in his hands. He was hungry, but he decided to wait for Jenni. She probably hadn't eaten, and would be rude of him to eat without her. Jenni was the most peculiar person he had ever met. She spoke the strangest sounding language he had ever heard, dressed the queerest way he had ever seen, and acted odd all around. It was quite puzzling. She made no sense. Why on earth would, Saruman, his father, be so worried about her. Physical power was absolutely out of the question. Jenni wasn't what one would call orotund. What could she possibly know or do? Although his father was really surreptitious at times, Durion had a gift for figuring what he was up to.

His train of thought was disturbed when Jenni returned, looking better. She saw the food and her stomach raucously rumbled, causing her to be extremely embarrassed. She stuttered out what might have been an apology and became very interested at the dark earth beneath her feet, but Durion couldn't understand it. Still, she looked ravenous at the sight of food. Durion carefully handed her a piece and saw her hands shake uncontrollably as she tried to maintain some manners. But her voracious appetite got the better of her. Durion didn't know how long she must have gone without food, so he gave her some more. Besides, he could skimp on his refection ration. Durion got out a flask with some water in it and mimed for Jenni only to have a little. She nodded slowly, but seemed to get the point. She took only a bit and for that Durion was most grateful. Water was somewhat scarce around these parts, so they had to be careful.

They mounted the horse again and took off. Jenni thought they were going rather fast. She looked up at the sky and saw more stars than she had ever seen in her life. For her that was saying something, she had lived out in the country where light pollution was minimal. People from the city would comment on how many stars were in her area. If only they could see this. It was like a photo from space. Jenni was astounded. Her trenchant vision was going on an over load of information from the ethereal lights above her. A serenity settled over her like a warm blanket. She thought of the Rhyme of Lore Gandalf had muttered to himself while riding towards Gondor with Pippin.

"_Tall ships and tall kings_

_Three by three_

_What brought they from the foundered land_

_Over the flowing sea?_

_Seven stars and seven stones_

_And one white tree." _

Jenni didn't know why the dark earth and ethereal skies had brought this to her attention, but she didn't mind. She was exhausted. Subconsciously, she began to lean against Durion's chest as her eyes grew heavy. The only thing keeping her awake was the going up and down of the horse. Through her lidded eyes she noticed something interesting. The mountains to the west were dark and mysterious against the starry background. It formed an cryptic looking image to Jenni's eyes. She doubted that Durion took any heed to it, though. He had probably been down this way a dozen times. Who was Durion anyway? Jenni couldn't wait to learn Westron or whatever other language Middle-Earthians used to communicate with normally.

Eventually, she fell into a dreamy sleep.

**Author's Note:**

**You may notice the heightened level of vocabulary. That is my thinking vocabulary. I have not been using a word processer with a spell check until now, so I was unable to use these large words before. Now I have a spell check. Yay. And now for the classic review responses.**

**Nyla Evergale: Thanks. I was really worried about using the spell and how my readers would react, but it got a positive reaction! I love Spirited Away too. That movie was the first anime I ever saw and Spirited Away fanfic is what got started on fanfiction! So I had to pay some homage to it. ;)**

**Bory68: Yeah, you should soon. As for your Isengard, I'd really rather not think about that. Just because I see no value in the idea outside of explaining how Uruks exist. So I might read a few of those. **

**Lorelai: I would love a beta, but my writing schedule is really limited as I have to share this computer with three other people. I also have vey limited internet where I live, so I don't know about a beta and what that entails. I am trying to lengthen the chapters, but time is a valuable resource for me. I sort of have a beta, anyway. To me, a beta is like a debate partner. You can't drop the ball. **

**DragonOwl: Yes, Jenni has left the building! I'm glad you like the Spirited Away part too. I also thought it was a interesting twist because any readers who read my last fic will be from the Ghibli fan base. **

**~Aza Sira**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight:**

Jenni woke up the same way she had when she first arrived in Middle-Earth: covered in dew. At least this time, she was covered in her cloak, which served as an emergency blanket. She hoped that sleeping on the ground and using a cloak as a blanket wound be an anomaly. She hated little aspects like this. Jenni stood up and stretched. There were many cramps all over her and they were not the most pleasant of sensations to wake up to in the morning. Even so, it was only about 6:30 in the morning, by her estimates. She had no clock, so she couldn't be certain. Anyway, Durion wasn't asleep, but was propped up against a boulder. The horse was laying down and seemed completely exhausted. Jenni wondered what its name was. Durion was also smoking and wafting odor was not pleasing to the senses any more than Jenni's aches from sleeping on the ground. She frowned most severely in his direction, to which he seemed amused. _Don't you know about lung cancer? _She though irritably. Jenni slowly got up and dusted herself off. There was horse hair all over her, to her great disdain. The dew didn't help at all as it just made the horsehair stick to her clothes. Jenni vigorously tried to get as much of it off as possible, but the action only ended up clumps the hairs it smelly, wet, splotches all over herself. Finally exasperated, she turned her attention to her hair. There were leaves, more horsehair, and more snarls than she had ever seen in her hair, except for when she had chicken pox for a whole month and didn't brush her hair once for that length of time. Her mother, after thoroughly exasperating herself and thoroughly disgusted with Jenni's lack of hygiene, had to take her to the hair salon to have several of the snarls cut out.(Hey she was eight) Jenni was facing a similar predicament with her hair again. She tried to comb the snarls out with her fingers, but to no avail. Finally, her stomach rumbled and her voracious appetite became her top concern. Jenni turned to Durion and mimed that she was hungry by grimacing quite comically and rubbed her stomach. He understood and gave her some lembas.

Durion was finding Jenni quite amusing. She woke up and the first thing she was concerned with was her appearance, of all things! Then again, most of the girls he knew (which weren't a lot) were the same way. So he supposed he could hardly fault her. Everyone had their pet peeves, he reminded himself. His father for secrecy, himself for undoing that secrecy, the Ents for the preservation of all living things, and the list went on. Still, he could not help but be amused with her. She was, after all, a girl and girls were very easy to laugh. Although said laughter needed to be kept internal. Otherwise one could have a very angry young woman on one's hands. Durion knew from personal experience. He chuckled just a little bit at her scrunched up expression when she attempted to comb her hair with her fingers. Her countenance was priceless. Completely and utterly priceless. Still, the best moment of the morning was when her stomach rumbled loud enough for him to hear. Her face was hilarious there too. All in all, Durion was having a great time mentally making fun of Jenni. He had learned long ago that one must learn to laugh to live well. If he didn't…. well he would have given on life a long time ago. Jenni approached and made a exaggerated mime of being hungry and wanting food. Durion already knew what she wanted, but watched her mime being hungry was outrageously funny. He gave her some lembas all the same, though. She chomped down on them with plenty of enthusiasm to satisfy her voracious appetite.

The sun continued to rise above the mountain peaks. Jenni quietly observed a phenomenon she had always been fascinated with since early childhood. Rays of sun that were visible. The trees provided a light green filter for the rays. It was almost as if there were tangible beams of sunlight arcing down to the earth in between tree and bush and boulder. She observed quietly and was lost in the early morning beauty. It was for things like this, as well as her environmentalist views, that her brothers had called her a hippie on more than one occasion. She continued to munch, when a sudden thought occurred to her; where was her violin?! Jenni's eyes widened and she turned and ran to where the horse's saddle and blanket were. She looked around furiously for her most valued possession. (It was her only possession as well)

_Where is it?! Where IS it?! Why was I so foolish in Isengard to lose sight of it for instant! _Thoughts were running wild in her head.

she was beginning to panic, when Durion tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and saw that he had her violin, in its case, in his hands. Her first emotion was gratitude. Seeing the case filling her with a rush of joy. She hugged Durion really tightly to try and thank him for keeping it safe. She couldn't hug him properly, because he was nearly a foot taller than she was, but she did her best. After, she took the case and inspected the violin. It appeared undamaged for the most part, other than a few scratches here and there. Her music was, however, missing. She immediately turned crestfallen. Jenni had some songs memorized, but without her music, that would soon change. Musical reticence had always been a issue with Jenni. Still she was glad to have the instrument all the same.

Durion was rather surprised. He hadn't expected Jenni to be so distraught over the strange device. He had noticed the way she carefully inspected it for damage. He had also noted how painfully tight she could embrace. He made a mental note not to do something to incite that again. Either way, the day was wasting away before them. The only reason they had not started earlier in the day was because Durion had pushed the horse nigh unto the point of exhaustion with his efforts to get as far away from Isengard as possible. The poor animal was certainly getting harsh treatment, all right. But Durion knew the creature would get them to Lorien as fast as any horse of Rohan, so he didn't mind all that much. It also allowed him to get some more sleep. But now they were to start again. Durion saddled up the horse and fed and watered him. The beast was exponentially hungry and thirsty, which made Durion extra grateful that he had camped near to a water source. The stream that accompanied their camp was crystal clear and icy cold. Durion dunked his head under filled the water bags. These bags would have to satiate both his and Jenni's thirst for a while, as the Gap of Rohan offered little in the way of both food and water. They would be travelling parallel to it on their journey to Lorien. Durion was getting more anxious by the day, for he feared that the Uruk-Hai were hot on their tails.

Jenni was getting nervous. She had noted Durion's apprehensive looks when he had packed everything up. She had tried to help, but ended up making things worse. The feeling of helplessness was gnawing at her again. After a while, she started to notice some of the scenery. Since they weren't going at as fast a pace as they were yesterday, Jenni noticed to grass. It was tall. And by that she meant that was as high as her waist probably. A strong gust of wind blew from the east. It seemed to have a strange sound to it. Faint, but odd, nonetheless. Durion stopped the horse. There were boulders scattered here and there and the wind rustled the grass. It looked like green waves lapping against a few small islands. Jenni was amazed. Back home, grass was a stubbly nuisance. She absolutely hated mowing it. And yet, despite the drought, it continued to grow. Here, it was beautiful. She was abruptly jolted out of her train of thought as Durion suddenly spurred the horse into a gallop. They up and down and up down. The poor beast was panting so hard. Jenni was thinking that this was incredibly strange for Durion to act so suddenly.

Durion was panicking. He had kept a sharp ear out for any of his father's storm spells. He hadn't considered many others. Saruman had given the Uruks speed. Incredible, deadly speed. He prayed to Eru that they would make it to Lorien. The Uruks had been uncommonly quiet in their tracking's. but the wind betrayed them. Durion had picked up their fell voices on its blessed arrival. They weren't too far behind. Out here in the open, it would be hard to launch an ambush, but the grass was getting taller. Durion suspected Saruman at once. The horse was persevering to almost physically impossible heights. Durion made as hard as could. The grass thought, seemed to be getting taller and thicker as time went on. The horse panted and struggled. Then the exhausted animal collapsed. Durion grabbed his satchel, Jenni her violin case and they started running.

Already they could hear the wargs howling.

**Author's Note:**

**And so they are caught! Will they escape? Tune in next time for the next chapter! Ok, that was the cheesiest Note I've ever written. Anyway, I know it's been awhile since I last updated, so I want to thank all my readers for their superhuman patience. I'm also turning fourteen in week! Oh and I found this other fanfic, and its AWESOME! It's called 'Green Eyes' by Yavanna and Sunstar. So go read that and review it because it's awesome! And so is The Fellowship of the Ring: Unexpected Arrivals by KoreanAloeJuice. So go read and review that its awesome too. And now for some review responses!**

**Borys68: Yes they are headed for Lorien, but will they make it? Sorry, I'm having a cheesy comedy streak today.**

**Hykaughtstu: Thank you! *Hugs* I hope you enjoy this story too! **

**Ilovevolleyball: Thanks! I hate Legomance to DEATH! DEATH TO ALL LEGOMANCE! Ok that was a bit over the top. As for the timeframe, I got so tired of all the fics happening right as the Fellowship gets together. **

**BlueRoseofWinter: The times are not according to Treebeard, but according to Jenni's estimates. So they're not spot-on correct. The first Ent draught was my creation, I called the Ent-wife Draught. The other two were original to the book. I fixed Durion calling Saruman dad because that's too modern. **

**KoreanAloeJuice: Thanks! And Ah HA! I have incited sympathy from a reader! Yes! *Fist pumps in victory* Yeah, playing instruments is pretty awesome. You should try it. **

**~Aza Sira **


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine:**

**Warning! A bit of violence in this one. **

Durion and Jenni tried to run. The grass was growing taller by the minute. Durion knew they were in trouble. He guessed that Jenni probably couldn't fight, either. That was a problem. A very large problem, indeed. If Jenni couldn't fight then it was up to him to defend them both – a prospect he was not looking forward to. Especially if she passed out again. He saw that Orcs and wargs were somehow able to get through the entangling grass with a fair amount of ease. Thus he knew that Saruman must be behind it. Durion dared not to use any aggressive magic of his own. He knew his father would counter it with something to turn it onto Durion. He had learned never to use aggressive magic in a situation where his father's power reigned supreme. Like right now. Durion turned and motioned for Jenni to keep running. He would hold off the Orcs and not have to worry about her. She was small enough to hide in the grass. There, she could be safe from the Orcs' eyes. Durion breathed a soft sigh of relief. He had no idea how wrong he was.

Jenni tripped and fell, the deceptively gentle blades of grass pulling her to the earth. There were few sounds. The world around her was growing blurrier and quieter by the minute. Jenni was exhausted. Her limbs were soaked in sweat, her scalp was itching wildly, her heart pounded in her ears. The grass was soft. The grass was cool. The grass would make the burning in her eyelids leave. She weary, so weary. Before Jenni realized it, she was almost lying down. Then the rest of her screamed NO! Jenni also verbally screamed. The grass hissed as if insulted. Jenni was very quickly developing a phobia to the grass. Its tendrils reached up to put her in their fatal embrace. She screamed again and tried to run. The grass was making that difficult. She tripped again and fell on her face. The enchanted tendrils began to close over her. She screamed again. She tried to tear at the grass, whack it with her violin, but to no avail. Jenni couldn't believe this was how she was going to die. Grass. She had hated and loved it. Now she just hated it. Finally, she had an idea that made her feel so stupid. First she took a deep breath.

"DUUUUUUURRRRRIIIIOOOOOON!" Jenni screaming with every ounce of will power in her. But her cries fell on deaf ears.

Durion hated Saruman. Now more than ever. The wargs were circling him, not Jenni though. This made no sense. If Jenni was the objective, then why was the main contingent surrounding him? Wouldn't it make more sense for the wargs to just grab her and leave. Then he realized it. The grass. It must be enchanted. He hated grass so much now.

The main warg and its fell rider charged first. Durion sidestepped and sliced the warg's leg off. He brought his sword down on the Orc's un helmeted head, slicing it in half. He whirled just in time to stab another Orc in the stomach, and turned to behead a warg. Durion turned to see another warg make a flying leap towards him. He reacted by stabbing his sword through its jaw and through the head. He yanked it out and heard howls in the distance. He turned to see if Jenni had been attacked yet. He had a horrible hunch that she had. If the worst had happened, he might be able to at least keep the foul Orcs from eating her corpse. He didn't find out. A Orc who had been cleverly hiding in the tall grass, jumped Durion while he was preoccupied in his thoughts. Its dagger hilt hit Durion on the head and he Durion dissolved into darkness. Jenni screamed his name.

Jenni felt like she was suffocating. The grass woven ever tighter around her. She continued to thrash about, but she soon learned that the grass blades were like knife blades. Really, sharp knife blades. Her hoodie had been discarded earlier, as it had gotten hot so she was in short sleeves. Before too long her arms were a crimson mess. Her face wasn't much better and she had several cuts on her legs. Hugging her violin tightly as the tears flowed and became mingled with her blood. She didn't know how long she was there, suffering in her own blood and heat. But after some time she drifted into unconsciousness.

~0~

Pain. That was Jenni's only sensation for quite some time.

Ice. The sharp edged knife of numbness. It drove itself deep into her heart. She felt nothing nor did she want to.

Fire. The flames rippled through her veins, urging her to action, to fight, to resist. But the Ice always came back, always overpowering the raging heats.

Guilt. Why had she not been better to her mom? To her brothers? To her sister? To her father? She hadn't even been able to help Durion. Why was she so

Empty. For a long, long time that was all Jenni was.

She had faint recollections of small things, like being spoon fed something. In the other parts of what was left of her conscious, she thought a lot about Lord of the Rings. Why, she didn't know, nor did she know why she never thought beyond the Second Age. Still, she kept retreating deeper and farther still into herself, locking herself away from the strange, unfamiliar world that had hurt her so deeply. She went through physical motions, but emotions were barren and lifeless. She didn't know why she was so cold now. Maybe it was guilt over what she had left behind in her own world. Maybe it was resentment over the fact that she had never said good bye. Maybe she thought she had betrayed Durion, who had stuck his neck out for her and she had ran. Ran and left him to the wolves. Literally. She was a maelstrom, and she wanted to know who did this and why. Jenni vaguely remembered waking up in it. It black, like the rest of Orthanc. The bed was a black stone slab, jutting out from the side with a pallet on it. There was a bathroom adjoining it, but that was it.

~0~

The Day After Capture:

Durion flexed his shoulders as he tried to expend the overloads of energy he had. He was in a black, windowless room, similar to Jenni's. in fact the only thing Jenni had that he didn't was a bed and small, barred window. His father had put a paralysis spell on him so he could scarcely move. It was killing him, absolutely killing him. Durion would yell out his rage if he could. That was the other part of the spell: he couldn't move his tongue. He knew his father had thrown that one in to really get him. Still, Durion was always energetic, and being paralyzed up like this was taking its toll on his mental health. He had no idea as to what had befallen Jenni, but he knew she wasn't dead. If she had valuable information like he guessed, then Saruman would be probing her mind. And speak of the devil, the stone slab that was Durion's cell door slid open and the Maia himself stepped in. Saruman looked down at Durion with contempt blatant on his countenance. Durion did his best to glare back, despite his facial muscles been paralyzed. Saruman just chuckled.

"What did she tell you?" Saruman's question released Durion from paralysis and shocked Durion so much he couldn't speak.

"Why do you care what a young maiden tells me?" Durion responded. Saruman glared at his difficult son.

"That is irrelevant. What has she confided in you?" Saruman was losing his patience fast. Durion was still confused.

"What do you suspect she knows? I might know with some context. And I want some questions answered."

Saruman was thoroughly frustrated with Durion. He couldn't probe his mind. Durion excelled at keeping his inner thought hidden from Saruman's eye. Durion even had pockets of misinformation that he used to trick Saruman. The only solution was to bargain with his son.

"The future."

Silence reigned supreme between father and son.

"Why do you think she knows the future?" The wheels in Durion's mind spun around and around. Suddenly, he felt thrice as compelled to get Jenni out of his father's clutches. With knowledge like that….. Saruman absolutely could not access to something like that. Durion could not let him.

"Things she has mumbled. Some of my knowledge came from Treebeard, actually. Nonetheless, I have answered your question, answer mine, what did she tell you?" Durion chuckled. He turned to his father with a smirk.

"Nothing. In case you forgot, she speaks no language of Middle-Earth. I have no awareness of her mind."

With that Saruman turned and walked out of the room. He needed Jenni to open her mind to him. There was only one cure for this.

Durion, surprised that Saruman had not placed the paralysis curse on him again, promptly decided that one could think and exercise at the same time. He ended up doing a version of a push-up over and over again. (That's just there for reference, he didn't really think of it like that.) he thought about how he was going to find Jenni. Then of course, there still remained the small matter of getting out of Isengard and into Lorien. Durion considered Fangorn, but ruled against it. Fangorn was currently having an influx of Orc movements everywhere within it. It would defiantly be the best place to vanish in, if that wasn't going on. Somewhere around the 150th push-up, Durion rolled onto his back and stared at the black ceiling. Technically, he couldn't see three feet ahead of himself. Even so, he pulled himself into a sitting position and tried to figure out if Saruman was still in Isengard. Frustrated by the answer, which happened to be that he was, Durion started to pace. He knew that Jenni's knowledge absolutely could not get into Saruman's hands. He thought ever several plots and set aside a few for thought. Durion whacked himself into a wall, disturbing his train of thought. If only he knew just how long he was going to be here…..

That was another problem. Durion didn't know whether or not Saruman would be leaving anytime soon. He greatly doubted it. _Smack! _Into another wall. Durion rubbed his nose. Saruman left on occasion but said occasions were few and far between. And with Jenni here, he would be even less likely to leave with someone so perilously valuable to him here at Isengard. Especially if he and Durion were the only ones who knew why Saruman wanted Jenni. Durion heaved a deep breath. Another thought was bothering him: why did he care? If Durion was honest with himself, then he felt protective of Jenni. This new train of thought intrigued him. Why he asked himself. Then it hit him.

_Because he promised her._

_Bam!_ He ran into another wall. Durion stopped pacing. He was hurting himself. Rubbing his forehead, he continued his train of thought.

Back when they had first met, Jenni had mimed for his help in getting out of there. He had obliged and said/mimed he would. Therefore, he was honor bound to help her escape from Isengard. That was it. Durion still felt like it was his duty to get her out of here. Technically, all he had to do was get her past the walls of Isengard. Now, he was even more resolved to get her away from Isengard. He went back to making plans and thinking of alternatives if they went wrong. This time, when he and Jenni broke out of here, they would do it with a plan.

~0~

_Slap! _

Jenni tasted blood in her mouth for what felt like the thousandth time. She could feel Saruman's claw-like nails scraping her face as he slapped her. Over and over. But that's not all he did. He continued to probe her mind searching for answers about the future. Jenni refused to yield. But she wanted to. No one would ever know how much she longed to crater, to give in, to give up, to quit and end the endless pain. Saruman had tried several different techniques on her ranging from beating her senseless to more painful things. Jenni would never forget this. She would never forgive and past a certain point, she would never even consider giving in. After all, once someone breaks all your ribs and water boards you, you aren't very inclined to give him the information he wants. The pain was creating anger, the anger, hatred, the hatred, defiance. And yet Saruman had no idea how much harm he was doing to his own cause.

Finally, he decided to play one more card before his most desperate. He would place her in solitary confinement. It had been three months since her recapture and he was wasting time. Far too much time had been wasted on her already. He knew that humans required contact to stay sane. If he could break her sanity, then he would find his answers. Saruman ordered his men to take her one of the sealed rooms. Jenni fought, kicking and screaming, the whole down. Finally exasperated, the men simply threw her into one of the twelve sealed cells. They knew all were unoccupied at the moment expect for one, which contained Durion. They didn't care if she went into the wrong one. They would be leaving in two days, so by the time Saruman found out, they would be long gone. They roughly threw Jenni into a cell and slammed the door shut.

Jenni's head spun and throbbed. She was fresh out of torture and now she gets thrown against a stone wall. Fabulous. Just fabulous. Jenni curled into a fetal position and held her head in her hands. After a while, the subsided enough for her to take in what she supposed were her surroundings. Everything was pitch dark. The inky blackness scared her a little bit. Jenni didn't know how large the cell was or anything really. Just when she shifted her foot to get up, a hand reached out of the darkness and clutched her forearm. She shrieked.

Fantastic. She had a cell mate.

**Author's Note:**

**Guess who's in the cell with her? Come on, it shouldn't be that hard. Also, how many of you read 'Preview'? I would really appreciate some more reviews for that. I promise to PM all reviewers with questions concerning that one. Anyway, I know some of you have wondered where Galadriel is, and she's coming. Eventually. Also, I've been thinking that I need a better cover image. **

**Borys68: Yes, the Wold was stained. No, unfortunately, the Orc Basher did not make an appearance. **

**Vivstar: thanks! I try tonot copy other fanfics as much as possible. Galadriel will come in time. Patience! **

**DragonOwl: Which one? Because "The Travels of Arrietty the Borrower" is not my best work. I'm glad you like the new vocab. Sadly, the violin might just be taking a bow. Maybe. Happy Early Birthday!**

**Hykaughtstu: Yeah, girly girls tend to care a lot about that. I'm with you. The story starts about six years before the Fellowship gathers in Rivendell. DEATH TO ALL LEGOMANCE! **

**~ Aza Sira**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten: **

Jenni screamed again. The hand withdrew immediately. Jenni shivered and scooted away into the corner. She wondered why Saruman had out her here. Was it simply to let her rot so she could never warn the outside world of his evil? She shook her head. That sounds corny. Even to her. Even so she had no idea what she was going to do now. She trapped, in a room so dark she couldn't even see her hand in front of her face. The room was sealed so that no light whatsoever shone through. Jenni wondered if Saruman knew about the human need for contact. She vaguely remembered a debate resolution a few years back when there was a case that said that solitary confinement was inhumane. Jenni shivered as she remembered the various sources. The psychological impact of solitary were terrifying. Many people went insane under those conditions. _So that's his plan then? To drive me insane. He must have some time before the Fellowship gathers. Stop. _By now Jenni knew exactly how Saruman's little prompts to get her thinking about Lord of the Rings felt. That was one of them. She knew Saruman knew some things, but by some miracle of her own will she hadn't given out anything too bad. Jenni moaned as she tried to scoot around. Several of her ribs were broken and some that had already been broken and healed were still badly bruised. She was covered in bruises, burns, and cuts. It hurt simply to breathe. Yet Jenni felt accomplished somehow. Like she had made a good grade on her PSAT test or something really important. Backed into the corner, she felt like she was dissolving into a dreamless slumber. Yet there was a dream.

**Jenni was standing on a rock in the middle of a crystal clear pond. She started and turned around herself. The world around her was sparkling with incandescent light. There was silver, gold, pink, red, blues and greens. Everywhere nature was blooming to its fullest. Jenni shut her eyes and rubbed them. It was so beautifully pure. Her eyes began to tear. The trees towered into an azure sky that glistened with brilliant light. There were shining flowers everywhere. Then she felt the presence. It was the presence of something ancient. Jenni slowly turned and saw her. She had cocoa colored skin and wore a dress of shimmering white. She seemed to walk on the crystalline water towards Jenni. Jenni didn't know whether to bow or just stand there drooling. She ended up drooling. The ethereal being laughed. **

"**How do like Lothlorien, Jenni?" Jenni's eyes widened. Galadriel? No, Galadriel had blond hair and white skin. **

"**Uhhhhh" was all that came out of Jenni's mouth. **

"**This is the true Lothlorien. The Lothlorien of Valinor." Jenni was gob smacked. The heavenly angel laughed again. The birds seemed to sing a bit more joyfully at the sound of it.**

"**I am Melian. You were probably expecting my more Elvish form." Melian shimmered and Jenni caught a glimpse of a white skinned woman who was equally as beautiful as the being in front of her. **

"**You have questions, I am certain?" **

**Jenni swallowed. This was so difficult. And she was in Valinor. THE Valinor. The wheels of her mind were spinning out of control. **

"**I, I, just w-want to know why-why I'm here." Jenni stuttered. Melian smiled. She held out her hand. Jenni took and started walking on the water with her. She shrieked and kept walking but had her arms wrapped around Melian's. the water was easily a hundred feet deep, crystal clear and icy cold.**

"**You are here for purpose. Never forget that. Everything that has happened to you was never once by chance. You have passed the test of pain. But now you must know the greater purpose. Your fate is tied with Durion's. Never forget that either."**

**They came to the end of the mere. Suddenly, Jenni had another question.**

"**Why is the East shunned?" Melian smiled as if expecting that. She waved her hand and the world changed. They were now in a grotto of some kind. It had a wide opening and half of it was flowering. Some of the flowering parts had dark patches interspersed within the light. The back part of the cave was very different. It was more affected by ambient light than direct light, unlike the front part of the cave. It was also in part blocked by stalactites and roots trailing down from above. Jenni realized at once that this was a allegory. **

"**Observe this cavern," Melian commanded. Jenni nodded. "See how the front flowers far more than the back? Why is this?" Jenni carefully observed her surroundings again before delivering an answer. **

"**The front has more light and fresh air than the back. Though it seems that the back is blocked by the tree roots and rocks." Jenni glanced hopefully back at Melian. Melian smiled gently.**

"**Well said. Middle-Earth is like this cavern. The front places, while having light are mixed with darkness. That is the nature of all things. It has been decreed that darkness shall ever be mixed light and life with death. The living plants grow on the legacy of the dead and love is forever mixed with hate. Joy also with sorrow." Melian's face took on a saddened expression and Jenni realized she was remembering Luthien and Beren. **

"**And yet, even though the front is mixed with living plants and dead, it is far worse in the farther parts of this grotto. That is because the back does not have what the front has. The world needed to be greatly healed after the passing of Morgoth in the First Age of Arda. The West, like the front, healed more quickly because it received more of the wisdom brought out of the West. The East, like the back, suffered more and did not heal as the West did, for the prejudice of the Eldar and of Numenor were against its inhabitants and the Avari. Some of the Istari went into the East. What has become of them, I cannot tell you now. That is part of your journey, youngling. Thus, the East did not heal in the same fashion as the West, but was made susceptible to whiles of the darkness. The Avari I cannot tell you much of either, but know that they are critical to the healing of the East. In your own world, you have a great respect and love of the east, do you not?"**

**Jenni looked down at her feet, not sure what to say or do. She loved Asian culture as much as she loved the works of Tolkien. She had always been more than a bit curious about the East on Middle-earth. **

"**Um, how does all this relate? I don't see the connection." Jenni felt ashamed at her ignorance. Melian smiled and lifted Jenni's face to meet her own. **

"**See these roots and stones?" Jenni nodded.**

"**They are the hatred and prejudice that the West of Middle-Earth has painted against the East. There are now too few whose sight is clear enough to see past it. Behold!"**

**With that Melian gracefully moved her arms in an arc. The roots and stalactites vanished, slowly disappearing into the ceiling of the grotto. The light streamed in and plants began to bloom on the backside of the cavern. They were different than the flowers that bloomed at the front, although a few were the same. **

"**Jenni, why do you think I was able to remove the obstructions to light?" Jenni didn't really know. **

"**Because I saw them for what they are. Natural, but wrongfully placed. My eyes were unclouded by any hatred of the back of this grotto. And that is something you must do. The East has built resentment to the West and West to the East. The eyes of both parties are clouded by prejudice and hate. Your purpose is to see with eyes unclouded by hate. That is the reason you are here. You must work to remove this hate in the East and the West of Middle-Earth."**

**Jenni nodded. This was interesting. She was here for a purpose other than some godlike being's amusement after all. **

"**Jenni, Illuvatar has decided to grant you one gift." Melian held out her hand and necklace appeared in her hand. It glowed softly. Melian handed it to Jenni who stared at it with very enlarged eyes.**

"**This is a very special necklace. It will enable you to understand Westron. But its power will wane for three months time until it is gone completely. Use the time wisely. You must go to Lothlorien in Middle-Earth. There ask an audience with Galadriel and Celeborn. They are the two only of the Eldar whose memory stretches long enough to teach you some things of importance about the Avari. It is crucial that you speak with them." **

The dream faded and Jenni woke to the darkness of her cell with the necklace clutched tightly in her fist.

**Author's Note:**

**And we now know the why of Jenni's presence in Middle-Earth. That's the thing about most GiME's. they never have a grand purpose other than falling in love with Legolas. I mean seriously. They never do. But if you're confused about Melian, she's Luthien's mom. She is a Maia like Gandalf. Go read the Silmarillion, she's in it. I thought having a dark skinned Maia would be very interesting, not to mention it would stifle any racism found in Valinor if everyone's white. To summarize what she said, Jenni is here to assuage tensions in Middel-Earth prior to the war. If you think about it, someone had to. In LOTR the amount of peeps out of the East are too small if all the East is coming to aid Sauron. Someone or something has to do something. So please stick with me. As for the necklace, its just there to give Jenni a way to learn the basics of a Middle-Earthian language. Remember it dies in three months so it's not like it just continues to constantly translate for Jenni. She will have to learn other languages. The stone won't work forever. And for some review responses.**

**DragonOwl: Saruman's design is for to go nuts. Whether or not it work is still up in the air. As for her violin, he took that too. My Arrietty fic not the best by a long shot, but I'm glad you liked it. First fic ever. And yeah, they throw her in with Durion. **

**Borys68: Of course! They wouldn't be minions of evil if they didn't mess up. Although future minions of evil will not be so stupid. **

**Hykaughtstu: Yeah he is pretty evil. But someone who knows the future is an advantage not to be missed. **

**Ilovevolleyball: Thank you so much! I work really hard on that. Please tell if this chapter is too Suey. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven: **

Jenni woke up again, this time not in complete darkness. A soft light eked out from the cracks in her knuckled fist. She sat up and jumped. She was in a cell with Durion, of all people. She calmed down remembering Melian's words.

"**Your fate is tied to Durion's. Never forget that."**

Besides that, Durion was asleep, but Jenni still felt like the awkward sauce of her life could not get any thicker. Still, she was reconciled to the fact that Durion meant her no harm. Sitting upright against the inky black wall, she slowly opened her fist. The necklace shone with a soft green light that reminded Jenni of the light through the trees of Lothlorien. She stroked it softly wondering how it could be so simple, yet so beautiful. She was fully entranced by it. As she looked, Jenni began to notice a few things. One of them was that there were several little engravings on the edge. She poked and rubbed her finger over one of them and the stone changed from green to purple. Jenni had no clue as to what she had just done, so she pressed the all the other engravings until she turned it back to its original mint green. Sighing with relief, she pondered what the stone could do other that translate Westron. Her train of thought was interrupted by Durion waking up. He jumped at first. Jenni jumped too. They both stared at each other for a little while. Which was perfectly understandable considering that Durion just woke up with Jenni three feet away and holding a glowing rock. He cleared his throat. Durion wanted to say something to the effect of "HOW IN MIDDLE-EARTH DID YOU GET IN HERE?!"

But since Jenni couldn't understand that, he was at a loss for words.

"Well, this is awkward." Durion flinched again and realized Jenni had just said something in perfect Westron.

"What?" Jenni turned and looked at him, cheeks burning crimson.

"Uh, I um, just was remarking on the um, tension, yeah, ha ha tension that sort of uh, was um,.." Jenni stuttered, the scarlet burning reaching her ears and making them tingle. This was mortifying. She had no real idea of how to tell Durion how she was there. Durion stared at her as if she was insane. He sighed. She was obviously embarrassed at her predicament, although he could see no apparent reason. Clearing his throat again, he tried a new tactic.

"What is that stone?" Jenni looked up at him. The eerie light from the stone made her facial bruises stand out even more. Durion didn't need to ask her where she'd received them.

"A dream." Durion's brow furrowed. It didn't make sense. He thought Jenni would know that.

"Care to elaborate?" Jenni was surprised at his sarcasm. Tolkien never really wrote sarcasm into 'Lord of the Rings'

"It's a long story. I got thrown in here by some guys working for your dad, err, father. Anyway, I dreamed of Melian." Durion gave her a quizzical look.

"She said I had a job to do here, in Middle-Earth, but in the East. She also said you were really important." Durion's heart surged with pride. If she had really received a dream with Melian in it, and Melian had said he was important, well that absolutely made his day. Or night, depending on what hour it happened to be.

"I take it that was all she said?" he asked, trying not to appear overly happy. Jenni nodded. They both sat in silence for some time before Durion spoke.

"How are you speaking Westron?" Jenni grinned a toothy and devious smile. She dangled the stone in front of her.

"This stone translates my English into your Westron. But, it only works for about three months. So I need to learn how to speak it without the stone, before then." Durion nodded.

"Can you stop it from translating?"

"I think it might translate other languages, so we could switch it to another language while you're teaching me." Durion rubbed his thumb just beneath his lip and stared at the black stone floor.

"May I hold it?"

"Of course."

Jenni handed it to him and watched as he fiddled with it. A slow smile crept across his face. After messing with it for a few more seconds, the light died completely. Jenni heard Durion's voice, but it was speaking a completely different language. She realized this must be Westron. The green light shone again and Jenni heard Durion say, in perfect English,

"Can you understand me?"

"Yes" Durion nodded with satisfaction as he handed Jenni her stone. "It would appear that we can stop it at will. Do you want to try learning a few words?"

"That'd be great!" Jenni exclaimed. Durion was a bit confused. "Sorry, it's a expression from my people. I was basically saying, 'Yes, I'd love to.'"

Durion nodded once he realized her meaning. They started with some basic words like: Man, woman, food, help, danger. It was just the basics that Jenni would absolutely need if they ever escaped. After a long session of learning random, but important words, they finally threw in the towel. Jenni's stomach rumbled. She'd grown used to not having much food, but she'd still give quite a lot to have one square meal.

"What is it like where you come from?" Durion's question startled Jenni out of her daydreams about delectable chocolate cake.

"Huh?"

"What is it like where you come from?" Durion's voice held a slight tinge of annoyance.

"It's….. different. We have way better technology and stuff. And um, well what do want to know?"

"What kind of technology do you have?"

"Computers, cars, the Internet, guns, bombs, TV's, water and agriculture. Nobody ever uses horses and carts because they're too slow. Instead we use cars because a car goes 100 times faster than a horse, even one from Rohan. Water is filtered to keep out disease. Computers are…. Well I don't really know how to explain."

"These cars of yours must be as fast as the wind."

"Yeah, they kind of are." Durion looked confused.

"Umm, what I meant was they are as fast as the wind." Durion nodded. They both sat in silence for a while before Durion yawned and started to fall asleep. Jenni felt exhausted from her lesson and just the fact that she was hurting and decided to follow suit.

**Author's Note:**

**I'm sorry for the incredibly long wait for this one. I recently started a college credit class and it's taking up a huge amount of my time. I'm trying to make things longer and update sooner, so please bear with me. And now for some review responses! Please review again. **

**DragonOwl: Thank you so much! I had a lot of trepidation regarding that scene. Thankfully, it made sense. And yes, the violin has vanished. **

**Hykaughtsu: Yes, she did. I'm trying! **

**ilovevolleyball: Your reviews just make my day. That's really all I can say. **

**~ Aza Sira**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve: **

Jenni woke to the sound of stone grating and a dim, red light trickling down from above. She rolled on her back just in time to see some odd-looking fruit thing go straight for her face. She shot her hands out and barely caught it. The stone door slid shut and they were left back with only the small light from the stone to go by. Durion already had his thing and was drinking from it. The fumes it released were vile. Jenni wrinkled her nose. Durion stopped long enough to look at her confused and somewhat disgusted face.

"Do you want your food?" his question took Jenni by surprise.

"Of course I want it! Humph. But umm, how do I err, eat, drink it?" Jenni felt awkward saying it and her face flushed crimson again.

"Open it at the top, like a drawstring bag, then drink it." He went back to his own meal, albeit much slower as to draw it out.

Jenni fussed around with hers until she ot it open. Taking a deep breath and trying not gag at the smell, she lifted it to her lips and drank.

It was delicious.

She couldn't have been more surprised. It was a strange sort of savory plant. But perhaps the most odd thing of all was the size and taste. Jenni expected something a little more…. Bland? Durion noticed her look of astonishment.

"It's the cheapest plant in Isengard." Jenni looked up. The pieces fell together for her. Of course. If it was so cheap and common then it would make perfect sense to give out to the prisoners. She nodded. Durion chomped down on the shell of the fruitlike plant. Jenni's eyes slightly widened. She finished drinking hers and bit into the skin as well. It was tasteless, bland and gummy. She summed it up into one word: nasty. With a grimace, she put down hers. Durion glanced at her and the shell. Jenni handed it to him wordlessly. He ate it in silence. Jenni leaned back against the wall and sighed. The small cell became silent except for the sound of Durion eating. Jenni began to pace back and forth across the cell. After several repitions, Durion finally spoke.

"You should put your time to better use." Jenni rolled her eyes.

"And what do you suggest?"

Durion tapped his chin.

"I doubt you know how to properly strike someone." Jenni stopped. At once she realized this. It would be as much of a weakness later on as not knowing any of the language.

"Then teach me." Durion's face spread into a slow smile, which looked disturbing in the semi-darkness. He stood up and stood parallel to Jenni.

"Like this." He performed a basic jab into the air. Jenni narrowed her eyes imperceptibly. This looked easy enough. She jabbed through the air. Durion shook his head. This could be a long session.

"No, like this. You are not engaging your full strength. To do so you must shift your right leg forward a bit and put your back into it." He demonstrated again. Jenni tried again. Durion nodded.

"Better, but still subpar."

Jenni tried again and again. Durion still wasn't satisfied be her performance. She got more frustrated with each failed repetition. Finally, when Durion corrected her again, she blew a fuse.

"Durion! I'm doing it just like you said! How am I getting it wrong!?" The last sentence was spoken more out of anger to herself than to Durion. He took a deep breath.

"Jenni. You are not engaging your-"

"I know! I'm not-" she was cut off by Durion placing both his hands on her shoulders.

"Jenni. Just try it again." He stepped behind her. Jenni jabbed into the air. Just when she was reaching her limit Durion's hand reached out and grabbed her elbow, forcing her to jab farther out and put her back into it. Suddenly Jenni understood.

"I think I get it." She said quietly. Durion stepped to her side again. Jenni jabbed into the air, remembering the same feeling whenher back was in it. Durion smiled.

"Excellent. Now do fifty more _perfect _repetitions. Incorrect repetitions do not count." Jenni groaned. She knew full well that it was essential for to deelop muscle memory for an important move like this, but she was still tired after. After slumping against the wall, Durion made another proposition.

"We should continue your language lessons."

Jenni sighed. She nodded wearily and they spent the next few hours working on more words and reviewing the previously learned ones. Jenni had taken Spanish before, using a software that taught the student everything by memory, except writing. So she had few problems with the manner of lessons.

After a few hours, Jenni decided to practice her strikes some more. Durion commented here and there. She continued to relentlessly practice until she was sure she could do it in a truly dangerous situation. Her body ached from her recent abuses, but Jenni refused to stop. Durion noted the look of pain mixed determination on her face after a few hours.

"Jenni, over practicing is as harmful as not practicing. Rest." Jenni lowered her arms. She knew that several of her muscles weren't ready for this kind of extertation, anyway. Dejected, she sat down and ended up laying on her back, staring at the impassive ceiling. Jenni would have given a lot to see a glimpse of the sun. just one tiny peek. That was all she wanted. To see the outside world again. Sighing, she closed her eyes and fell into a restless sleep.

Durion stayed awake and watched as she fell asleep. He listened fro her breathing to become rhythmic. After it did, he finally started to think openly. If Jenni was asleep, then he could figure out some degree of what was going outside the cell's black, stone walls.

**Author's Note:**

**I'm back again! Ok, to address a few rather important things going on:**

**I'm so, so sorry for the long wait last time. **

**Plot **

**I received a review that said that nothing is really happening. Well, I guess I need to address that. The plot of any book or movie is twofold. You have the character plot which is the development of the characters relationships and inner psychology. If you read my last work you might notice that I left out almost all character development. The story was rushed and hurried. I really don't want to do another shoddy job like that. **

**The second part of the plot is the events side. This is what most people think a good plot should look like. I focused mainly on the events in my last story. It just move, move, and move. But the characters ended up being dry and boring. **

**You could compare this to two parallel lines. In my last story the character line hardly budged an inch, while the events line surged forward. So while the events line is going inch for a few chapters, the character line is going to get more space. So while the plot might seem like it's not moving, it is. It's just moving a bit more subtly. **

**Review responses!**

**Ilovevolleyball: Wow, you are by far the most uplifting and encouraging reviewer I've had. My brother saw your last review and the first thing said (which kinda had me a bit shocked) was:**

"**Aza, I think you have a fangirl." My brother is also pretty young, so don't take it too seriously. I just thought you should know. ;)**

**Fay50free: Just read the above paragraph on the plot. That was written for you.**

**Please Review!**

**~Aza Sira **


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen: **

Durion searched around for Saruman. Not physically, but mentally, by stretching out his conscious. After realizing that Saruman wasn't watching or even present, he woke Jenni. She groggily raised her head.

"Durion.. What's going on..?" She didn't finish her sentence because he abruptly pulled her up. She turned the translation stone on.

"Durion, what is going on?"

"Jenni, do you remember the square opening where they fed us?" Jenni furrowed her brows. Of course she did…

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"I think you might fit through it." Jenni was gobsmacked. What? Fit through a tiny little door like that?

"And just how am I going to get up there?" Durion looked rather uncomfortable.

"It's only a short distance above my head. If you sat on shoulders, you could reach it. Saruman isn't here, so now is a rare opportunity."

Jenni pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

"Fine."

After she was up though, she found that maybe Durion was a bit too tall.

"Hey, could get a bit lower? I'm being crushed against the ceiling." Durion obliged, but it obviously wasn't easy. Jenni felt around the ceiling with her hands. No soap.

"I can't feel it. Could we move?" Durion grunted in response and tried to take a few steps.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Jenni screamed as she fell to the hard, stone floor. Although her torso ended up being draped over Durion's back, her legs took quite a bruising.

"Ugh." Jenni suddenly realized that Durion took the fall too.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so, so sorry! I just- ugh." She got off his back and sat against the wall. Ouch. Her former bruises hadn't quite healed, so the fall hurt more than it should have. Jenni felt incredibly frustrated with this weakness. Her entire life she'd fallen out of trees and jumped off of swings while swinging at their peak, while doing a synchronized routine with her brother. So why did this entire journey have to hurt so much?

"Jenni?" She looked up and saw concern in Durion's eyes.

"Yeah?" She croaked out. She had curled into a fetal position. Durion's browed furrowed and then he remembered the meaning of her expression.

"Do you want to try again?" Jenni sighed. They needed to get out of here and into Lorien. Even if her body ached, that had to come first. She could rest later. They tried it again. This time when Durion stepped forward to maneuver, they almost fell again. Jenni dug her ankles into Durion and pressed her hands against the ceiling. It restored their balance and they were able to move forward. After several near falls, Jenni found the outline of a square.

"Eureka!" Jenni exclaimed. Durion almost stumbled in confusion.

"Excuse me?" Jenni realized her error.

"I found it."

Durion's heart leapt.

"Can you open it?" He couldn't wait to get out of here. Jenni pressed against the tile. It scarcely budged a centimeter.

"I need more pressure. Can you push against me?" Durion slowly straightened his knees. Jenni pressed with all strength left in her. A quote from the Silmarillion leapt to her mind. It ended up coming out of her mouth too.

"Aure entuluva!" Durion's eyes widened. That was a quote only the greatest of Elven lore masters knew. How…?!

They pressed harder against the stone. Finally, it opened. Jenni slid it over to the side. Getting a firm hold on the sides of the opening, she tried to hoist herself up. Suddenly, she had a thought. What if an Orc came in? Her palms suddenly became sweaty with fear and before she knew it, she was slipping. Desperately grabbing hold of the tile, she tried again. All she succeeded in doing was pulling the tile back in place and falling on top of Durion. He groaned. This was hopeless. Or maybe not. Jenni obviously had been scared of something. Perhaps a guard had come around? He couldn't know. But for now, since they knew that the tile could be opened and used as an escape route, planning was a must. Meanwhile, Jenni was still sprawled out on her back, panting a bit. That last fall had hurt a lot more than the last.

_Dang, why did I have to snap like that?! _She thought angrily. Jenni was getting more and more frustrated with herself. It felt as if she could do nothing at all. She slammed her fists against the floor and burning tears slid down her face. She sniffled and tried to make it as quiet as possible. Curling into the fetal position against the wall, she sunk her face between her knees to muffle the pitiful sound. _Don't cry, crying is for wimps. _She could hear her brother's voice in her head from when they were small children. Jenni stifled her tears and set about the task of assessing the damage. She was bruised and battered all over from both the falls. Sighing, she realized that she was in much the same physical condition as when she was first thrown in here. It was almost as if she was trying to fly and gravity just kept pulling her down. Just like the attempt they had just made for freedom. Just like when they had escaped Isengard only for Saruman to take them back. It was infuriating.

Durion's mind was running in circles. He was a bit dizzy after having Jenni fall on him twice. She heavier than she looked. But, more than that, he was shocked at what she had said earlier. The quote from Cirith Areonidiad (The Battle of Unnumbered Tears). How she could have known that was a mystery to him. Either way, he knew that they could escape from the tile. Now came Phase Two: Planning. He knew where they were and the guard schedules. But using that knowledge was risky. Saruman could have easily changed them. If they had weapons, it would be different. In the meantime, they could only prepare for the worst. Jenni was still completely subpar in combat. She had a basic jab down, and Durion didn't doubt her will to survive, even with such an elementary move. But she needed more. Jenni couldn't speak Westron well enough yet, either.

"Jenni, we should continue our language lessons." He sighed wearily. Mandos had warned him that this would not be easy.

"Yeah, sure."

They practiced for a few hours. Durion brought up combat when he started noting Jenni's twitching. She needed to expend energy.

"This time we'll focus on a different strike: the cross." He demonstrated a punch that curved in from the side. Jenni got down perfectly the first time. Durion raised his eyebrows in surprise. This was new.

"My father taught me this one." Was all the explanation she offered. Durion nodded.

"Do 100 repetitions, the same bar of finesse required as last time." Jenni rolled her eyes.

"Whatever you say, Durion-taicho." Durion turned his head.

"Um, your meaning?" Jenni chuckled.

"It's just another way of saying captain." Durion nodded. Jenni continued to perform the repetitions. Afterwards, she was sweating but ready give up. Durion decided to show her another move.

"It's called an uppercut. Like so." He made a swift upward motion with his fist. Jenni smirked. She knew this one too. After performing it correctly and doing another 100 reps, Durion decided to move to the next phase: kicking. Jenni raised her eyebrows but maintained a respectful silence as Durion carefully showed her how. It was what you might see in a kickboxing round. Jenni fell the first few times. Durion shook his head.

"Follow my lead." He and Jenni went through the motions simultaneously. It helped her a lot with the new technique.

"Make sure you are as steady and swift as possible. A kick's strength lies in its speed and power to disorient the opponent. But it is by nature less stable than a strike from the fist. " Jenni nodded.

After another 100 perfect reps, she was tired. Her new bruises ached even worse than before. But she was content with the fact that she had learned a more powerful attack. They sat in silence for some time, before Durion shattered it.

"What do you do in your country for enjoyment?" The question took Jenni by surprise. She was quiet as she considered her response.

"Well, I love to read. And climb trees. And flip off of swings. I love to garden. Anime…." Her voice fluctuated with excitement as she recollected her past pleasures. Durion thought.

"What did you grow in your garden? Flowers like elanor? Or great trees like the mallorn? Or merely vegetables?" Jenni was a bit overwhelmed by the sudden barrage of questions.

"I enjoy growing herbs the most. For medicinal reasons. We don't have elanor or mallorn in Texas. I seem to end up killing any veggies, though." She chuckled.

"Do you still climb trees?" Jenni laughed.

"Yes, to my mother's dismay." They both laughed.

"What do you mean by 'flip off of swings'?" Jenni stared at him with her mouth open.

"You've never been on a swing?" she gasped, incredulous.

"No. What are they like?" Jenni laughed.

"You know, when we get out of here, we're going to have to build one." Durion's face fell. Jenni kicked herself mentally. _Way to kill the mood, Jen-girl._

"Never mind that. What did you do as a kid?"

Durion looked at her in confusion. What did a baby goat have to do with him? Jenni realized her mistake.

"Um, I meant as a child." Durion nodded.

"Well, I studied hard. And climbed the Orthanc. Fangorn was a favorite haunt of mine. I had an uneventful childhood, I suppose." Jenni nodded.

"What is anime?" Durion's question pulled Jenni out of her reverie.

"Oh, it's like computers and stuff. I can't really explain it."

"Do you have any siblings?"

"Yeah, I have an older brother, John. And then there's Nathan, who's a few years younger than me. And then Megan, the youngest. We're a crazy bunch."

Durion looked at Jenni with apprehension. Jenni face palmed. Of course, he thought she meant insane.

"Oh, I meant we're all very, er lively." Durion laughed.

"Why did you strike yourself a minute ago?"

"You mean the face palm? It's an expression of exasperation or frustration."

There was a long period of silence. Durion yawned. Jenni followed suit. She was feeling sleepy and before she knew it, she was fast asleep. Durion remained awake as he listened her snore lightly on his shoulder before weariness overtook him.

**Author's Note:**

**An interesting chapter to write. Anyone have ideas on how they're going to get out? Cookies to who guesses right. **

**Anyway, I'm back with some review responses:**

**Ilovevolleyball: You have officially made it onto my Awesome People List. Kudos to you about the fruit! As for comparing me to Tolkien, well he's one of my heros, but I wouldn't say I'm like him. **

**About my brother….. he mistook your awesomeness as fangirling. Don't ask me how his ADHD brain came up with that conclusion, because I don't know. **

**KrystylSky: Thanks, I'm glad you think so! Hopefully, I can keep it up.**

**Vivstar: Thanks for sticking with me so far! I hope I can satisfy.**

**Please Review!**

**~ Aza Sira **


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen: **

Jenni woke to the sound of the trapdoor sliding open and closing again. After rubbing her eyes and turning on her stone, she saw Durion devouring his food with a voracious appetite. Usual. Her ration remained untouched, but Durion had one eye on it. Jenni ate the inside as she always did and Durion finished the shell. They both sat back in contemplative silence for a while. Jenni decided to finally ask Durion what she had wanted to for quite some time.

"Durion?"

"Yes?"

"Have ever been to the far East or met the Luin Istari?" His eyes widened by a few millimeters. Jenni realized he was shocked.

"Yes." Came the soft answer.

"What did you learn from them?" Jenni's eyes were wide with curiosity. Durion looked distant.

"Many different things."

Jenni got the idea that Durion didn't want to talk about it.

Their lives went on in relative peace for the next two months. Jenni and Durion trained in combat and language lessons steadily became more advanced. In order to speed the learning process, Durion would have Jenni turn off the translation stone for all times when they weren't having a lesson. Jenni became semi-fluent in Westron by the end of this period. She also managed to throw a decent punch or two. But they both knew in a fight, Jenni probably wouldn't survive on hand-to-hand combat alone. Especially if her enemy was armed.

One day, Durion sensed that Saruman's presence had left Isengard again. He and Jenni had discussed an escape plan. They decided to simply try the old plan again. Jenni would climb out of the tile and open the door on the other side, if possible. If not, Durion would try to get out through the tile. After that they would somehow make it through all the Rings of Isengard. Durion knew that the best armory was in the first ring, closest to Orthanc. It also held an adjacent storeroom. They would get some supplies from both. After that they would try to sneak through the Rings until they came to the second to last ring where the stables were located. They would acquire horses and hopefully make it out of Isengard and into Fangorn. From Fangorn they would try to take a roundabout way to Lorien. This plan wasn't foolproof. It wasn't even likely to succeed. But they didn't have a table full of options to choose from.

They went through the same routine as they had before, this time with three falls until the tile was located. Jenni gripped as hard as she could to the edge. Her palms her slick and the stone was smooth. An idea that made her feel like a complete nincompoop hit her. She squared her feet on Durion's shoulders and pushed herself out, instead of pulling herself out of arm-power alone. After crawling out, she panted slightly and remembered the point of getting out. It wasn't very dark in the upper room. Light came in through small cracks in some window shutters on one wall. Jenni tried to pull them open, but they were a bit stuck. She finally pulled them open with a _crack! _ Cold light filtered through and Jenni was temporarily blinded. After she recovered, she looked for a door. Finding it on the far wall, she went through and followed some steps until she found the door. It had a lock so Jenni knew they would have to resort to plan B.

Durion was not happy. The door was locked so he couldn't get out that way. Jenni had tried to find some rope, but there was none. That left jumping. Durion jumped as high as he could and tried to grab the ledge. He failed and received a bump on the head for his efforts. After a half hour of failing he finally hauled himself out. Jenni, who had been waiting as she couldn't pull him out, being too light, was sitting in front of the now open window. Her eyes her closed and Durion realized she was enjoying the feel of sunlight of her skin after being in the dark for so long. She started at hearing him and rose to her feet. They quietly crept out of the door and headed up the stairs.

Jenni's heart was in her throat. She was terrified out of her wits. They were both unarmed and terribly vulnerable. After climbing the staircase. They saw the first guard. Durion knocked him out cold and took his weapon, a spear. While not his favorite, it would have to do until they came to the armory. Speaking of which, the armory was across the field that separated Orthanc from the First Ring. Guards patrolled it incessantly. Durion and Jenni spied from a doorway and took note of their habits. Jenni realized that there was a ten second blind spot between guards. Which meant they had ten seconds to bolt across a 100 yard field and dash through a door (which could be locked, in which case they were screwed) and do all quietly so as not be heard in under ten seconds.

Piece of cake.

Durion whispered the plan to Jenni and they took off as soon as the blind spot opened. The run was one of the most agonizing ten seconds of Jenni's life. Which considering everything she had been put through, was a lot. If they missed the spot, they stood a extremely high chance of dying. Or worse being recaptured and separated. Jenni could have written her obituary between heartbeats as they ran.

_Thump._

_Jenni Nesmith, died age fourteen._

_Thump._

_Cause of death: Running like an moron towards armed men who would kill her._

_Thump._

_Never got to say good-bye to her family and friends._

_Thump. _

Jenni's foot hit the stone right before the doorway. Durion tried to open it.

It was locked.

The guards turned and saw them. They knew Jenni and Durion were prisoners. The alarm was sounded and the guards charged Jenni and Durion.

They had both had spears and Jenni was unarmed. With a scream, she barely dodged a death blow and received a gash on her arm. Durion had parried away his opponent's weapon and made short work of him. Turning he quickly did the same on the other guard. The ground had begun to turn crimson. Jenni was sick. She retched, even though she hadn't eaten that day. The sight of violent death was jarring to her. Durion grabbed a key ring from one of the now deceased guards and unlocked the door, pulling Jenni with him.

The whole thing had taken 40 seconds. Others were coming. Durion discarded his spear and grabbed a sword and some short knives for Jenni, who was still in shock. They ran out of the armory and into another room. It was full of strange weaponry and other objects. Durion recognized it as the Special Armory. He turned to go out when Jenni squealed. She ran over to a familiar shaped black box. Jenni slung the straps over her shoulder and looked expectantly at Durion. He led the way out of the room and down a hall. Turning a corner, they faced another guard. He and Durion drew their swords so quickly, Jenni didn't see them until they clashed. They struggled against each other for a tense few seconds before clashing again. Jenni made the wise choice to back away. That was when the other guards grabbed her. Her shriek was stifled.

"Put your sword down or your companion dies."

Durion lowered his blade. Both the guards smirked. Durion suddenly sliced a blinding arc toward Jenni. She didn't see it like last time, but the large amount of blood on her sleeve and clatter of her captor's arm and sword hitting the stone floor told her what had happened. The man released her and staggered backwards. The other guard soon fell after a short clash of arms.

Jenni and Durion continued down the hall to the store room. Durion just grabbed a bag and stuffed some bread and clothes into it and they ram back out. The encountered a squad of guards who mostly took on Durion. They were skilled and outnumbered him, pressing him hard. One went after Jenni. He swung he sword in a arc Jenni barely countered with her long knife. The guard overpowered her and forced her to retreat. He knocked her knife out of her hand and put a deep cut on her forearm. She did what came naturally. Jenni whacked him with every ounce of her strength with her violin case. The guard staggered backwards. Suddenly, Jenni's icy cold terror was replaced. This time all she felt was rage. Rage at why her trip to middle Earth had happened. Rage at Saruman. Rage at this man. She brought her second knife down for the killing blow. Just as it pierced his chest, she stopped. She couldn't kill him. Her knife quivered where it was held, frozen in place. She settled for knocking him out cold with the hilt. Turning she that Durion was still battling two other men. Three were on the floor already. She moved over and sliced in a arc down one of their backs. The man turned to her and she yelped as she dodged his blow. Durion took advantage of his opponents distraction and defeated him. Jenni was having a hard time with hers. He was much stronger than she was. She dodged his strikes, but he was backing her into a corner. Just as she thought he would finally get her, he stiffed and a point protruded from his chest. Durion pulled out his sword and a he fell to the floor. They continued through each of the rings. They were more and more often attacked by squads. Jenni received bruises, cuts, and gashes in all shapes and sizes. She learned through immense amounts of pain just what a neophyte she really was.

Finally, battered and weary, they reached the stables. Durion quickly strapped on two bridles and saddles. He had plenty of practice in doing this in record time. He had already briefed Jenni on how to ride. But they could only hope to make it out alive. No doubt the gates would closed. They would have to fight their way out. They mounted the horses. Jenni was amazed at how much easier it was to ride out of somewhere than to fight on foot. She was just beginning to see the gates when an arrow protruded out of her horse's leg. It stumbled and fell, taking Jenni with it. She grunted as she hit the ground. Rising to her feet she saw that Durion had the same problem. So much for the horses. Jenni began to run as fast as she could towards the gate with Durion. Arrows routinely nicked and cut her or hit the ground where she had been standing. They came to the gates and all assault stopped. Durion eyes widened as he realized that a certain familiar presence was waiting for him on the other side of the gate.

Saruman had arrived.

Durion and Jenni could not believe their luck as he rode in and charged them. Acting on impulse, Durion grabbed the translation stone off of Jenni's neck. She yelped in pain. He shouted a spell and threw it. It exploded like a grenade at Saruman. Taking advantage of the distraction, they ran out of the gate. Two horsemen where there, Saruman's backup. Durion made short work of them. They both mounted the horses and took off in full gallop towards Fangorn.

**Author's Note:**

**I apologize for the long wait on this one. I went out of town and got some excellent new ideas. This was a particularly difficult chapter to write. Anyway, here's some review responses.**

**Borys68: Yes, I have so much fun with that. **

**Ilovevolleyball: Yes, they did. Thank you for the coffee, I only got six hours of sleep. **

**DORK DOG: Cool name, girl. That acronym Idea was AWESOME! Thank you so much!**

**Please review! **

**~Aza Sira**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen:**

Jenni was tired. She and Durion had been riding for two days straight. While not always in full gallop, they still managed to keep moving. They had crossed the mountain pass into Fangorn at record speed. Under the darkness of the trees, Jenni's sight was blotched from the constant pain. Staying on the horse was much more difficult than her previous excursion into equestrianism. That time, she'd gotten to hold onto Durion. This time she had to keep herself on. Combine that with the myriad bruises and other wounds she had received at Isengard plus not eating for two, almost three, days.

She was at the breaking point.

Finally, she couldn't keep herself on the horse, which was trotting at jaunty pace. Her vision receded and she fell with a soft thud and a loud yelp. _Stupid tree roots. _Jenni though angrily. She heard Durion turn his horse around and dismount. He walked over to her. She glared and slowly, painfully, sat up. He handed her a piece of bread from Isengard. Well, she'd thought it was bread. It looked more like a cracker. Durion broke off a small piece and stuffed the rest of it back into his bag. Jenni didn't understand why her portion was so small. A distant memory occurred to her.

"_Lembas bread. One bite is big enough to fill the stomach of man." _

Was it indeed that miraculous food? Jenni didn't really care. She stuffed it into her mouth. The taste almost made tears spring to her eyes. It tasted just like challah bread. Her mom used to make it, but Jenni hadn't had it in a long time. It was still her favorite bread. Warm memories of baking all kinds of things sprung to her mind. She shook them away and hauled her aching body off the ground. A cut on her thigh reopened with the action. She grimaced. Durion was messing around with his saddle. Jenni was about to remount her horse when a _thud, thud, thud _came into earshot. Durion stiffened and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. Jenni looked towards the direction of the sound. Durion was already doing the same. (He'd heard the sound long before Jenni, but was still wary of its unknown origin) it came closer, until an Ent emerged through the trees. It wasn't Treebeard. This one looked younger and more tree-ish. Durion immediately greeted him in some other language than Westron. It was rich and powerful sounding. It made Jenni want to slowly walk away. All of her nerves tingled strangely. She realized that this must be what Quenya sounded like. It scared her. After Durion had a rather long conversation with the Ent, it turned and walked slowly into the wood. Durion turned to Jenni. By this time, she was shaking and getting vertigo. Durion glanced at her with concern. She was sweaty and pale.

"Jenni, are you alright?" She shook herself out of her reverie and flashed him an over bright smile.

"Yes. I'm fine."

He obviously didn't believe her. They mounted their horses and followed at a slow pace. Durion wondered what could have gotten into her.

"What was that all about?" Jenni asked tentatively. She was still unnerved by the use of the High Elven Tongue.

"Hm?" Durion was confused by Jenni's use of the modern term. She rolled her eyes.

"What were you talking about?" She asked impatiently. Durion had grown used to Jenni's thick accent.

"The Ent's name is Quickbeam. He is allowing us to stay at his dwelling for tonight. We will leave in the morning."

"Oh. I see. Why can't we stay longer?"

"Isengard will be sending out its orcs to hunt us. We have to keep moving."

Jenni nodded. The twilight around them made the forest look forbidding and treacherous. They entered a wide clearing. A small stream ran through it, tinkling sweetly. Jenni dismounted and noticed Quickbeam creating an Ent draught similar to Treebeard's. This one seemed to be slightly more amber colored than his brighter golden one. He turned and another one began to glow. This one was more evergreen colored, versus Treebeard's bright mint green draught. The small area was filled with a soft glow. Jenni watched with avid interest. Quickbeam's draughts were similar to Treebeard's, yet not the same. They had a different sort of resonance. Either way, she and Durion were permitted to drink them. Jenni could feel her hair curling. Speaking of her hair, it was a wreck. After not being washed in four months, things were not looking well. She stank and so did her hair. Durion was in the same position. His black hair was tangled and greasy like hers. They both reeked. But as hers was significantly longer, it was far more of a problem. Her hair was almost to her waist. It had been fairly long when she had arrived in Middle-Earth, but the richer air and other elements had made it grow. It was a mess. She sat on a rock and pulled out her hair tie. Through thick and thin, it had remained her constant. It was getting a bit worn, though. She started braiding her hair. After several epic fails and chuckles from Durion, she'd managed to get into a decent enough braid. Translation: a ratty, stinky, filthy mess that strongly resembled a fifty-year old piece of sea-worn rope. Jenni had never wanted to bathe so much in her life. But there was nowhere to bathe in privacy. Durion had another conversation with the Ent and Jenni felt uncomfortable again. The twilight shadows around them were deepening into night and Jenni yawned. She decided to sleep in the middle of the clearing, away from uncomfortable tree roots. She ended up clearing away all the dead leaves and twigs in the process of finding the least uncomfortable sleeping arrangement. Durion had just lain on the ground and went out like a light. As soon as Jenni got her own arrangements finished, she was in a state of exhaustion.

It was a most unpleasant awakening. Apparently, at six in the morning, Quickbeam took to creating a huge noise, similar to a rooster. He bellowed out his deep _HOOOOOOOM!_ And Jenni awoke with a scream and a leap. Durion was quite amused. After Jenni had eaten her share of draught and lembas, Durion told her the plan. He had let the horses off earlier this morning to with a spell to throw the orcs off their tracks. They were to start immediately.

Jenni's feet hurt. She didn't have any shoes and Durion's were too large for her. They'd tried, but Jenni couldn't walk in them. She was loud too. Durion was incredibly exasperated with her by what she guessed was ten in the morning. She'd tried being quiet, but it wasn't working. They continued to walk and walk and walk. Occasionally sleep, too, In fact, that's all they did for three days. They were in the mountain's feet and Jenni was thinking about how wonderful sticking her sore, bruised, cut feet would feel in some water. Durion had tied her feet with some strips of cloth, but they still hurt. Then she heard it.

The sound of water. Jenni beamed and giggled. Durion turned and smirked, then turned back with a shake of his head. He'd heard the water hours ago. Ten minutes later, they found it. A small waterfall of spring water flowing out of the mountain and bubbled into a mere of crystalline, warm, water. Jenni almost couldn't believe her eyes. A hot spring. It was so wonderful to look and think of all she could do with it. She could soothe her feet and take a bath. Maybe get some of the grime out of her hair.

"We're camping here until tomorrow." Jenni looked at Durion in wonder. They never camped longer than four hours in the dead of night. And here it was in the late afternoon and they weren't leaving until tomorrow.

"I'm going to find some food. You can bathe while I'm gone." Jenni turned a little pink with embarrassment.

"Thank you." The sincerity in her tone spoke volumes more than any eloquence she might have been able to come up with.

Durion smiled and took off. Jenni waited a bit, soaking her feet. They stung, but she knew the warm water would do them a world of good. Soon she was fully bathing. Jenni fully dunked her head under the water more than once, and rubbed her hair between her hands, did anything get it clean. It didn't really work, but she became squeaky clean in the process. After getting dressed, she waited. And waited. And waited. Finally Durion came back. Jenni was still soaking her feet. The warmth in the water was too good leave. Durion hadn't brought anything back. Apparently, Jenni's stomping around had scared off most of the already scarce wildlife. So it was lembas again. They continued the day after. The seasons had changed while they were in Isengard. When Jenni had first arrived in Middle-Earth, it was early fall. It had still been warm then, but now chill winds were blowing. The prison dress Jenni had on was a single piece of cloth that was sleeveless, baggy, and bloodstained. It was a one-size-fits-all type of dress. Durion had more or less just been thrown into prison after being disarmed. So he still had his tunic, pants, and boots. They hadn't had time to go shopping in Isengard.

Jenni was trying her hardest to be quiet. After yesterday's Orchestra of Snapping Twigs and Crunching Leaves, she was determined to do better. Unfortunately, she wasn't much better. After about an hour of trying to be quiet, she gave up and went back the stomping. When she wasn't focused on her lack of skill, she began to notice the small things going on around her. Fangorn was every bit as mysterious and old as Tolkien had made it sound. The trees were huge and gnarled affairs that strongly reminded Jenni of old men. The sunlight filtered lightly through the dense foliage, creating a dusky and somewhat depressing atmosphere.

Halfway through the day, they found something that Jenni never would have guessed. Durion had noticed the ground was beginning to slope downwards.

"Jenni."

"What?" Jenni rolled her eyes. Durion gave her a withering look.

"Can you climb a tree?"

"What kind of question is that? I climbed down the wall of Orthanc! I've been climbing trees since I could walk!" Durion gave her a quizzical look, due to her outburst.

"I take it you can..?"

Jenni just climbed the tree. It was a huge, gnarly, peculiar tree. Then again, all the trees in this peregrination of hers were. The branches stopped low to the ground, but the tree itself was elevated high into the azure sky. Jenni climbed for over an hour to get to the top. Looking downwards was something she refused to consider. As she looked at the green treetops around her, the mountains looking like large rocks dappled with soft, living moss, she noted a depression off in the distance. A village? No…. Tolkien had never made mention of any such thing. Preposterous, entirely.

Was it?

A nagging thought kept itching at the back of Jenni's mind. She refused to consider it. It was far too disgusting. Climbing down was difficult, given the fact that Jenni had to look down. She ended up whimpering on a few branches. In all her years of climbing, she had never actually been 500 feet off the ground. Needless to say, perhaps, but Durion was not too pleased with her when she reached the ground. She told him what she had seen and it's direction. That became their destination. If Durion knew something, he wasn't sharing. Jenni had a slight distrust of this. Of course, another part of her argued, why should she distrust him? After Isengard? Really? If he had just been using her there, then he could have easily killed her out here. Or during their first attempt at escaping. He would have certainly been better off without her. Maybe it was the strange resemblance to Saruman in his face. It kind of scared her in an odd way. There could be a perfectly reasonable explanation, of course, but Jenni never asked. Never had the courage, really. It was all deeply peculiar.

Later in the day, it started rain. Rain in hot and humid weather is hideous. Rain in cold and windy weather, while it might sound cool, is downright miserable. The rain fell in unfaltering sheets of icy water, coupled with a strong wind. Jenni got whapped in the face more times than she could count by random, low hanging branches. She could not see ten feet before her. It terrified her. Jenni felt lost, alone and desperately wretched. Not at all dissimilar to how she had felt when first arriving in Middle-Earth. She slipped her hand in Durion's. He could see, even if she couldn't.

After walking for a long time as usual, they finally settled down to obtain their four hours of sleep. It was already nine o'clock in Jenni's estimation. At night, too. Her feet hurt again, and again she cursed the fact that she had nothing for it. The cold of the downpour wasn't helping in the slightest. Sleep was forced on her by exhaustion as usual. Jenni had completely forgotten the sensation of a real bed. Stones, sticks leaves, and an enormous amount of cold water no longer bothered her. She was too tired to care. Most times, too tired to dream either. The rain, probably enchanted by everyone's least favorite Istari, seemed to bring old fears back. Jenni woke up or so it seemed it the middle of the night. Durion wasn't there. The rain and wind was as fierce as ever. She started looking for him. The rain thrashed harder, the wind swirled around her, confusing everything. She was thwacked by some branches, but they felt more like whips. Strange voices seemed to be one the wind. Probably part of the enchantment. She started running. Where was Durion? Had he left her after all? Was she really, truly, completely alone? Jenni stopped to catch her breath. Suddenly a burning sensation seared through her back. She screamed. A hand grabbed her wrist and turned her to face them.

Saruman.

"Jenni"

**Author's Note:**

"**Da-Da-Da-Da-DUM! DUM-DUM-Dum! But is it real? Anyway, on to other things. I recently went back over The Silmarillion to refresh my memory and to check for any descriptions of the Avari. There are NONE. And while I'm on the subject, I've also discovered that Avarin is singular, not plural. *Slaps self* So I'll be editing that ASAP. **

**Ilovevolleyball: Oh, I want me some chocolate! I'm glad you think so. That chapter was so hard to write. This one was too. **

**DORK DOG: Thank You! I always felt like a sheepish schoolgirl when I get praise like that. **

**~Aza Sira.**


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